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DOI Artikel:Kaczmarzyk, Dariusz: "Niobe" by Bernini and the ancient Niobe from Nieborów
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18861#0056
Dariusz Kaczmarzyk
„NIOBE" BY BERNINI AND THE ANCIENT NIOBE FROM NIEBORÓW
The renowned bust of Niobe from the Radziwiłł Collection in Nieborów, presently in the Natio-
nal Museum of Warsaw, Nieborów Section, was studied by Kazimierz Michałowski in a paper
published 49 years ago, in 19271. Thanks to this publication, this elassicał work of art from
the IVth century B. C. — presumably a Roman copy, was introduced to European history of art-.
From its history, presented by Kazimierz Michałowski it results that in the first half of the
XVIII th century it was still in Rome and thence, via England and Russia, it finally reached the
collection of princess Helena Radziwiłł in Nieborów3, at the end of the XVIII th century.
With the bust of the Nieborów Niobe is associated, both in name and composition, a head
of Niobe from the Venetian Galleria Testolini, recently acąuired by the National Museum of
Warsaw4 — representing a woman's head, truncated at the rear, with the smali cut of torso,
carved in white Carrara marble. It is 43 cm high. A brass plate fastened at the base bears an
engraved inscription: NIOBE eon FRAMENTO MICHELANGIOLO GALLERIA TESTOLINI
VENEZIA\
The inscription informs about the provenance of this baroąue head of Niobe from an otherwise
not known Testolini Gallery in Venice6. The sculpture was in Poland already before the second
world war, and in 1945 it became property of engraver Antoni Alster and his wife Leokadia
who sold it to the National Museum of Warsawr in 1970.
Although in the Testolini Gallery the sculpture was described as the head of Niobe (in order
to differentiate it from the ancient Nieborów Niobe we shall cali it the Warsaw „Niobe"), it could
be rather accepted as the head of Prozerpina, because of the striking likeness to Bernini's Pluto
and Prozerpina group in the Borghese Gallery in Rome7.
The Warsaw „Niobe" is a repetition of the head of the figurę of Prozerpina, as well in generał
composition as in details and dramatic psychological expression. The turn and inclination of the
head is the same in both sculptures, similar are the creases on the neck, face proportions, the
1. K. Michałowski, ,,Ein Niobekopf aus den Sammlungen des Fiirsten Radziwiłł in Nieborów" Archaologisches Anzeiger,
1927, nr 1-2, p. 58-70.
2. Stark, „Niobe und Niobiden in ihrer literarischen, kunstleriscben und my thologischen Bedeutung", Sprawozdania Komisji
do Badań Historii Sztuki to Polsce, VI, 1900, p. XXII; T. Mańkowski, O poglądach na sztukę w czasacli Stanisława Augusta,
Lwów, 1929, p. 36; G. A. Mansuelli, Galleria degli Uffizi. Le scullure, I, Rome, 1958, p. 101-102.
3. X.M.R.-", Ostatnia wojewodzina wileńska, Lwów, 1892, p. 163; Michałowski, op. cit., p. 60; Idem, ..Zbiór antyków grecko-
rzymskich w Nieborowie jako wyraz kolekcjonerstwa w dobie Oświecenia", Biuletyn Historii Sztuki, XIII, 1951, no 4;
.1. Wegner, Nieborów, Warszawa, 1957, p. 14.
4. Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie, Inv. no. 1364 Tc/71; ,,Acquisitions, Sculpture", Bullelin du Musee National de Varsovie,
XIII, 1972, no 1-3, p. 70-71, fig. 5; D.Kaczmarczyk, ,,Un mascaron de Pcntourage de Michel-Ange", Bullelin du Musee
National de Var.sovie, XVI, 1975, p. 97-102.
3. The plate is fastened to the base in the form of a rectangular błock in grey-black stone calłed pietra serena. The Iow relief
adorning the front side of the base represents a mascaron. This composition is a repetition of the same motif from the
cuirass in the statuę of Giuliano Medici, the work by Michael Angelo Buonarroti in the Medici Chapel in Florcnce. C.
de Tolnay, Michelangelo, III, The Medici Chapel, Princeton, 1948, plate 42; For the stone błock with a mascaron ornament
making a base, see D. Kaczmarzyk, op. cit.
6. The Testolini Gallery is not mentioned in the XIXth and XXth century publications. Presumably it was a smali
private collection or perhaps an antiqU3 dealer's shop.
7. R. Wittkower, Gian Lorenzo Bcrnini, London, 1955, p. 179-180, no. 10, fig. 12 and 20.
48
„NIOBE" BY BERNINI AND THE ANCIENT NIOBE FROM NIEBORÓW
The renowned bust of Niobe from the Radziwiłł Collection in Nieborów, presently in the Natio-
nal Museum of Warsaw, Nieborów Section, was studied by Kazimierz Michałowski in a paper
published 49 years ago, in 19271. Thanks to this publication, this elassicał work of art from
the IVth century B. C. — presumably a Roman copy, was introduced to European history of art-.
From its history, presented by Kazimierz Michałowski it results that in the first half of the
XVIII th century it was still in Rome and thence, via England and Russia, it finally reached the
collection of princess Helena Radziwiłł in Nieborów3, at the end of the XVIII th century.
With the bust of the Nieborów Niobe is associated, both in name and composition, a head
of Niobe from the Venetian Galleria Testolini, recently acąuired by the National Museum of
Warsaw4 — representing a woman's head, truncated at the rear, with the smali cut of torso,
carved in white Carrara marble. It is 43 cm high. A brass plate fastened at the base bears an
engraved inscription: NIOBE eon FRAMENTO MICHELANGIOLO GALLERIA TESTOLINI
VENEZIA\
The inscription informs about the provenance of this baroąue head of Niobe from an otherwise
not known Testolini Gallery in Venice6. The sculpture was in Poland already before the second
world war, and in 1945 it became property of engraver Antoni Alster and his wife Leokadia
who sold it to the National Museum of Warsawr in 1970.
Although in the Testolini Gallery the sculpture was described as the head of Niobe (in order
to differentiate it from the ancient Nieborów Niobe we shall cali it the Warsaw „Niobe"), it could
be rather accepted as the head of Prozerpina, because of the striking likeness to Bernini's Pluto
and Prozerpina group in the Borghese Gallery in Rome7.
The Warsaw „Niobe" is a repetition of the head of the figurę of Prozerpina, as well in generał
composition as in details and dramatic psychological expression. The turn and inclination of the
head is the same in both sculptures, similar are the creases on the neck, face proportions, the
1. K. Michałowski, ,,Ein Niobekopf aus den Sammlungen des Fiirsten Radziwiłł in Nieborów" Archaologisches Anzeiger,
1927, nr 1-2, p. 58-70.
2. Stark, „Niobe und Niobiden in ihrer literarischen, kunstleriscben und my thologischen Bedeutung", Sprawozdania Komisji
do Badań Historii Sztuki to Polsce, VI, 1900, p. XXII; T. Mańkowski, O poglądach na sztukę w czasacli Stanisława Augusta,
Lwów, 1929, p. 36; G. A. Mansuelli, Galleria degli Uffizi. Le scullure, I, Rome, 1958, p. 101-102.
3. X.M.R.-", Ostatnia wojewodzina wileńska, Lwów, 1892, p. 163; Michałowski, op. cit., p. 60; Idem, ..Zbiór antyków grecko-
rzymskich w Nieborowie jako wyraz kolekcjonerstwa w dobie Oświecenia", Biuletyn Historii Sztuki, XIII, 1951, no 4;
.1. Wegner, Nieborów, Warszawa, 1957, p. 14.
4. Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie, Inv. no. 1364 Tc/71; ,,Acquisitions, Sculpture", Bullelin du Musee National de Varsovie,
XIII, 1972, no 1-3, p. 70-71, fig. 5; D.Kaczmarczyk, ,,Un mascaron de Pcntourage de Michel-Ange", Bullelin du Musee
National de Var.sovie, XVI, 1975, p. 97-102.
3. The plate is fastened to the base in the form of a rectangular błock in grey-black stone calłed pietra serena. The Iow relief
adorning the front side of the base represents a mascaron. This composition is a repetition of the same motif from the
cuirass in the statuę of Giuliano Medici, the work by Michael Angelo Buonarroti in the Medici Chapel in Florcnce. C.
de Tolnay, Michelangelo, III, The Medici Chapel, Princeton, 1948, plate 42; For the stone błock with a mascaron ornament
making a base, see D. Kaczmarzyk, op. cit.
6. The Testolini Gallery is not mentioned in the XIXth and XXth century publications. Presumably it was a smali
private collection or perhaps an antiqU3 dealer's shop.
7. R. Wittkower, Gian Lorenzo Bcrnini, London, 1955, p. 179-180, no. 10, fig. 12 and 20.
48