DOI Heft:
Nr. 4
DOI Artikel:Michałowski, Maciej Piotr: The Raczyński of Rogalin
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18940#0133
tions of the Polish army and the history of Polish sovereignty. It seems likely that the idea for
this museum, as well as the designs for the neogothic, romantic decorations came from Edward
himself. The tempie which was built now far from the main house was meant to fulfil a similar
function in the same spirit of romanticism, i.e., to be a pantheon of the struggle for national
independence and a memoriał to the history of the family. Modelled on the ancient Roman
Maison Carree in Nimes, it was dedicated to the memory of Edward's cousin, Marceli Lubo-
mirski, who had died a hero's death in the Napoleonie campaign. At the same time it scrved
as a family vault (the Rogalin branch of the Raczyńskis are buried here, ending with Edward
Alexander and his wife Róża).
The rich, sensitive and creative personality of Edward Raczyński was not suited to the
lordly splendour of the manor in which he was raised. The Rogalin residence underwent funda-
mental changes in Edward's time. It was no longer a magnate's house, fuli of servants and guests,
as in the time of Kazimierz and Filip, but a place of intensive work, of scholarly investigation,
of cultural and political activity. Here were written the successive volumes of his monumental
scholarly and historical studies,11 here, finally, were born the plans for founding a public library
in Poznań and building in the cathedral there a Golden Chapel, a pantheon of the first Piast
rulers of Poland.12 Edward was not concerned about collecting works of art. He did, however,
take an interest in painting, mainly because of the influence of his brother Atanazy. He even
helped Atanazy, on a number of occasions in negotiations connected with the acąuisition of
new works commissioned from contemporary German painters. He gave Atanazy for his col-
Iection the picture by the Dutch marinę painter, Maerten Schouman, which he had bought in
1830 in Dordrecht. But for his own collection in Rogalin, Edward bought in 1829 from C. Willem
Wach the original of his painting Portrait of the Italian peasant girl (so called Yelletrinerin).
This composition which was painted in Italy around 1817—1819 enjoyed great popularity and
was repeated freąuently by the artist after the exhibition of this portrait in Berlin in 182013.
Edward's younger brother, Atanazy Raczyński (1788—1874), who was also brought up
in Rogalin, was interested in art from an early age. He himself drew and painted watercolours,
and his works are of no smali artistic merit. He was taught drawing by Johann Christian Klengel
in 1806 in Dresden, and it was there that Atanazy bought the first pictures for his futurę gallery.
His next purchases, made in Warsaw in 1815 and 1816 from the gallery of Stanislaus Augustus
Poniatowski,1'4 reveal him as a futurę connoisseur of great style and talent. He was passiona-
tely devoted to his work in the diplomatic service, where he spent many years. From 1813 to
1815 he was the attache to the embassy of Saxony in Paris. Afterwards he continued his career
as Prussian envoy in Copenhagen (1830—34), Lisbon (1842^48) and Madrid (1848—52). At
the same time he threw himself body and soul into the task of collecting works of art, mainly
paintings. He acted as patron to contemporary artists and wrote a number of important Works
on the history of art. Above all, he is renowned as the creator of an outstanding art gallery,
and his whole life was spent in accumulating this collection. He had a deep interest in old works
of art, but he was more draw*n to the contemporary art scenę, especially in Germany. And so
in his collcctions, as well as some extremely famous Works by old masters of the Italian schools-
11. For the work of Edward Raczyński, see A. Wojtkiewicz, Ediuard Raczyński i jego dzieło, Poznań, 1929.
12. Cf. Z. Ostrowska-Kębłowska,,,Złota Kaplica — pomnik narodu",fin:] Funkcja dzieła sztuki, Warszawa, 1972; also Archi-
tektura i budownictwo w Poznaniu w latach 1790—1880, Warszawa—Poznań, 1982, pp. 212—220.
13. A. Raczyński, Geschichte der neueren deutschen Kunst, Bd. III, Berlin, 1841, p. 80; see also: I. Wirth, Berliner Malerei im
19. Jahrhunderts, Berlin, 1990, p. 60, Fig. 77.
14. Pictures by Bourguignon, Everdingen (Ruisdael ?), Salyator Rosa, Berchcm (?) and a drawing by Rubens, cf. T. Mań-
kowski, Galeria Stanisława Augusta, Lwów, 1932, no. 288, 591, 1208 (?), 1672, D 11.
For Atanazy Raczyński aud his work as a collector, see A. Dobrzycka,,,Atanazy Raczyński", [in:] Myśl o sztuce, War-
szawa, 1976, pp. 235—251; for the collections in his gallery, see Galeria Atanazego Raczyńskiego, exhibition cataloque
National Museum in Poznań, Poznań, 1981.
114
this museum, as well as the designs for the neogothic, romantic decorations came from Edward
himself. The tempie which was built now far from the main house was meant to fulfil a similar
function in the same spirit of romanticism, i.e., to be a pantheon of the struggle for national
independence and a memoriał to the history of the family. Modelled on the ancient Roman
Maison Carree in Nimes, it was dedicated to the memory of Edward's cousin, Marceli Lubo-
mirski, who had died a hero's death in the Napoleonie campaign. At the same time it scrved
as a family vault (the Rogalin branch of the Raczyńskis are buried here, ending with Edward
Alexander and his wife Róża).
The rich, sensitive and creative personality of Edward Raczyński was not suited to the
lordly splendour of the manor in which he was raised. The Rogalin residence underwent funda-
mental changes in Edward's time. It was no longer a magnate's house, fuli of servants and guests,
as in the time of Kazimierz and Filip, but a place of intensive work, of scholarly investigation,
of cultural and political activity. Here were written the successive volumes of his monumental
scholarly and historical studies,11 here, finally, were born the plans for founding a public library
in Poznań and building in the cathedral there a Golden Chapel, a pantheon of the first Piast
rulers of Poland.12 Edward was not concerned about collecting works of art. He did, however,
take an interest in painting, mainly because of the influence of his brother Atanazy. He even
helped Atanazy, on a number of occasions in negotiations connected with the acąuisition of
new works commissioned from contemporary German painters. He gave Atanazy for his col-
Iection the picture by the Dutch marinę painter, Maerten Schouman, which he had bought in
1830 in Dordrecht. But for his own collection in Rogalin, Edward bought in 1829 from C. Willem
Wach the original of his painting Portrait of the Italian peasant girl (so called Yelletrinerin).
This composition which was painted in Italy around 1817—1819 enjoyed great popularity and
was repeated freąuently by the artist after the exhibition of this portrait in Berlin in 182013.
Edward's younger brother, Atanazy Raczyński (1788—1874), who was also brought up
in Rogalin, was interested in art from an early age. He himself drew and painted watercolours,
and his works are of no smali artistic merit. He was taught drawing by Johann Christian Klengel
in 1806 in Dresden, and it was there that Atanazy bought the first pictures for his futurę gallery.
His next purchases, made in Warsaw in 1815 and 1816 from the gallery of Stanislaus Augustus
Poniatowski,1'4 reveal him as a futurę connoisseur of great style and talent. He was passiona-
tely devoted to his work in the diplomatic service, where he spent many years. From 1813 to
1815 he was the attache to the embassy of Saxony in Paris. Afterwards he continued his career
as Prussian envoy in Copenhagen (1830—34), Lisbon (1842^48) and Madrid (1848—52). At
the same time he threw himself body and soul into the task of collecting works of art, mainly
paintings. He acted as patron to contemporary artists and wrote a number of important Works
on the history of art. Above all, he is renowned as the creator of an outstanding art gallery,
and his whole life was spent in accumulating this collection. He had a deep interest in old works
of art, but he was more draw*n to the contemporary art scenę, especially in Germany. And so
in his collcctions, as well as some extremely famous Works by old masters of the Italian schools-
11. For the work of Edward Raczyński, see A. Wojtkiewicz, Ediuard Raczyński i jego dzieło, Poznań, 1929.
12. Cf. Z. Ostrowska-Kębłowska,,,Złota Kaplica — pomnik narodu",fin:] Funkcja dzieła sztuki, Warszawa, 1972; also Archi-
tektura i budownictwo w Poznaniu w latach 1790—1880, Warszawa—Poznań, 1982, pp. 212—220.
13. A. Raczyński, Geschichte der neueren deutschen Kunst, Bd. III, Berlin, 1841, p. 80; see also: I. Wirth, Berliner Malerei im
19. Jahrhunderts, Berlin, 1990, p. 60, Fig. 77.
14. Pictures by Bourguignon, Everdingen (Ruisdael ?), Salyator Rosa, Berchcm (?) and a drawing by Rubens, cf. T. Mań-
kowski, Galeria Stanisława Augusta, Lwów, 1932, no. 288, 591, 1208 (?), 1672, D 11.
For Atanazy Raczyński aud his work as a collector, see A. Dobrzycka,,,Atanazy Raczyński", [in:] Myśl o sztuce, War-
szawa, 1976, pp. 235—251; for the collections in his gallery, see Galeria Atanazego Raczyńskiego, exhibition cataloque
National Museum in Poznań, Poznań, 1981.
114