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DOI Artikel:Paszkiewicz, Mieczysław: Sir Peter Francis Bourgeois and his "Rotunda with Figures"
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18820#0064
Mieczysław Paszkiewicz
SIR PETER FRANCIS ROURGEOIS AND HIS "ROTUNDA WITH
FIGURES"
The National Museum in Warsaw possesses a mysterious picture attributed to Sir Peter Francis
Bourgeois or some other artist (Fig. I).1 Br. Ryszkiewiez dcseribcs the picture in his book on the
Polish Group Portraits; „An enigmatic composition which allegedly represents a reception in the
Polish Embassy in London or at Prinec Chamberlain's [should be: Prince Primate's] residence,
and which includes portraits of a number of persons from the King's entourage including Sta-
nislaus Augustus himself. The picture demands a separate study".2 This was a challenge and my
paper is, in a way, an answer to it.
It would be useful to quote the rest of dr. Ryszkiewiez description: ,,The composition is known
in two cxamples. One of them now destroyed was atttributed to Benjamin West and adorned
the Blank Palące in Warsaw. Another, known as a work of Fr. Bourgeois was transferred (from
the Jabłonna Palące) to the collections of the National Museum in Warsaw". The picture is
sometimes described as The Stock Exchange in London. Once it belonged to King Stanislaus
Augustus Poniatowski's collcction (no. 1872). After the abdication and the death of the King it
was sold by auction with his other property, and acąuired in 1810 by an art collector, Józef Ka-
jetan Ossoliński. After the death of the new owner it was again sold by auction (in Warsaw,
in June 1839) and bought by Mr. Koźmiński for 602 Polish Zlotys — one of the higher prices
at the sale.:i
The composition had also a third attribution; T. Mańkowski in his book on the Stanislaus
Augustus collection described it as a work by Francesco Giuseppe Casanovą.1
The Picture represents an assembly of twenty six people inside a rotunda, and two others seen
through the open doorway. Between those present is the king Stanislaus himself who is repre-
sented, the third from the left, and a number of personalities from the king's entourage. There are
also some persons in exotic dress. At least one of them (the one in the doorway, on the right-hand
side, looking-in) is easily recognizable as a conventional representation of a Red Indian.
The architectural drawing is rather weak, in parts positively clumsy, for instance in the eof-
fering of the dome, or the arch above the pediment of the door. Inside this arch a clock is repre-
sented, showing the time: ten minutes to two.
1. No. 184936, oil on canvas, 154 X 188 cm. I should like to thank dr. A. Ryszkiewiez, the vicc-dircctor of the Art Institute
in Warsaw, for ealling my attention to the existence of the picture, and for supplyiug not only the reproduction, hut also
some valuable information. I should also like to thank Mr. J. Freedman who read the paper and suggested a numhcr of
corrections.
2. A. Ryszkiewiez, Polski portret zbiorowy, Wrocław —Warszawa —Kraków, 1961, pp. 89 — 90.
3. A. Ryszkiewiez, "Zbiory artystyczne Józefa Kajetana Ossolińskiego, Pierwsza publiczna galeria warszawska", Rocznik
Warszawski, I, Warszawa, 1960. pp, 122, 130, 141.
4. T. Mańkowski, Galeria Stanislaiva Augusta, Lwów, 1932. p. 405.
54
SIR PETER FRANCIS ROURGEOIS AND HIS "ROTUNDA WITH
FIGURES"
The National Museum in Warsaw possesses a mysterious picture attributed to Sir Peter Francis
Bourgeois or some other artist (Fig. I).1 Br. Ryszkiewiez dcseribcs the picture in his book on the
Polish Group Portraits; „An enigmatic composition which allegedly represents a reception in the
Polish Embassy in London or at Prinec Chamberlain's [should be: Prince Primate's] residence,
and which includes portraits of a number of persons from the King's entourage including Sta-
nislaus Augustus himself. The picture demands a separate study".2 This was a challenge and my
paper is, in a way, an answer to it.
It would be useful to quote the rest of dr. Ryszkiewiez description: ,,The composition is known
in two cxamples. One of them now destroyed was atttributed to Benjamin West and adorned
the Blank Palące in Warsaw. Another, known as a work of Fr. Bourgeois was transferred (from
the Jabłonna Palące) to the collections of the National Museum in Warsaw". The picture is
sometimes described as The Stock Exchange in London. Once it belonged to King Stanislaus
Augustus Poniatowski's collcction (no. 1872). After the abdication and the death of the King it
was sold by auction with his other property, and acąuired in 1810 by an art collector, Józef Ka-
jetan Ossoliński. After the death of the new owner it was again sold by auction (in Warsaw,
in June 1839) and bought by Mr. Koźmiński for 602 Polish Zlotys — one of the higher prices
at the sale.:i
The composition had also a third attribution; T. Mańkowski in his book on the Stanislaus
Augustus collection described it as a work by Francesco Giuseppe Casanovą.1
The Picture represents an assembly of twenty six people inside a rotunda, and two others seen
through the open doorway. Between those present is the king Stanislaus himself who is repre-
sented, the third from the left, and a number of personalities from the king's entourage. There are
also some persons in exotic dress. At least one of them (the one in the doorway, on the right-hand
side, looking-in) is easily recognizable as a conventional representation of a Red Indian.
The architectural drawing is rather weak, in parts positively clumsy, for instance in the eof-
fering of the dome, or the arch above the pediment of the door. Inside this arch a clock is repre-
sented, showing the time: ten minutes to two.
1. No. 184936, oil on canvas, 154 X 188 cm. I should like to thank dr. A. Ryszkiewiez, the vicc-dircctor of the Art Institute
in Warsaw, for ealling my attention to the existence of the picture, and for supplyiug not only the reproduction, hut also
some valuable information. I should also like to thank Mr. J. Freedman who read the paper and suggested a numhcr of
corrections.
2. A. Ryszkiewiez, Polski portret zbiorowy, Wrocław —Warszawa —Kraków, 1961, pp. 89 — 90.
3. A. Ryszkiewiez, "Zbiory artystyczne Józefa Kajetana Ossolińskiego, Pierwsza publiczna galeria warszawska", Rocznik
Warszawski, I, Warszawa, 1960. pp, 122, 130, 141.
4. T. Mańkowski, Galeria Stanislaiva Augusta, Lwów, 1932. p. 405.
54