DOI issue:
Nr. 4
DOI article:Michałowski, Maciej Piotr: The Raczyński of Rogalin
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18940#0135
It is paradoxical that Atanazy Raczyński, one of the leading figures in artistic affairs in
the nineteenth century, was respected in Europę, while at homc be was the subject of sharp
criticism, and even downright condemnation, because of his political convictions.16 He gradually
became morę and more estranged from his home country because of his being connected with
the Prussian couit for many years, and also due to his disagreement with his family in Rogalin
after the tragic death of his brother in 1845. He founded yet another gallcry of family portraits
in Mały Gaj, his holding in Great Poland set up in 1825.17 After his son Karol (1817—99)
died without leaving any offspring, all of Atanazy's property, as Weil as the Berlin picture gal-
lery, passed into the hand of the so-called Courland branch of the Raczyńskis, the descendants
of Wincenty Raczyński, a distant cousin of Atanazy (the Rogalin line had been disinherited
previously).
At this stage a few words are due to Wincenty Raczyński (1771—1857). He was a Com-
mander of the Knights of Malta,18 and the founder of a line of Raczyński counts which survives
to this day outside Poland (mainly in both the Americas); this is the so-called house of Courland,
which is Germanized, but eager to claim Polish ancestry. Wincenty Raczyński was a colourful
character, and is worthy of mention for several reasons: he was brought up partly in Rogalin,
he w_as interested in art and maintained contacts with artists, and last but not least, he ac-
cumulated an impressive and valauble collection of paintings, which can be found today in
the National Musem in Poznań. He was born in Great Poland, and his father Józef was
a distant cousin of Kazimierz Raczyński. After the early death of Wincenty's parents, Kazi-
mierz took him under his protection and brought him to Rogalin. Later he sent him to a school
for pages in Warsaw. Wincenty accompanied Stanislaus Augustus on his journey to Kaniów.
Later he entered a cadets'corps, he became a Knight of Malta, and in 1791 he obtained the
title of Chamberlain; two years later Kazimierz Raczyński sent him to Malta to the Grand
Master. He was the only Polish member of the Order on the island at the time. He attained
an important position in Malta, and in 1797 was sent as envoy to the Tsar Paul the First; in
Russia he received the title of First Commander in the Russian Catholic Priorate. After Malta
Was taken over by the French, he settled for good in Mitau in Courland.19 He travelled widely
all over Europę, especially Italy, making many artistic contacts and buying pictures. Gregorio
Fidanza, a popular landscape painter and also an art dealer, was a friend of Wincenty and
acted as middleman for him when he was buying paintings.20 Piętro Palmaroli, a friend of Fi-
-danza's, who was later to gain fame in Europę as a restorer of pictures, painted Raczyń-
ski^ portrait in Rome.21
16. Cf. A. Dobrzycka, op. cit., p. 249, note 56.
17. A. Raczyński, Katalog der Familienporlraits in Gay, Berlin, 1866. The collection comprises 46 paintings by P. Batoni,
A. Graff, J. Grassi, J. Ch. Lampi, ,!". Gladysz, A. Roquemont, C. W. Wach, L. Fuhrmann and others, and also copies by
E. CzarnikoW, C. Cretius, C. Brasch and C. A. Henning. Cf. M. Pawlaczyk,,,Portrety Raczyńskich. Przyczynek do dziejów
rodziny i jej kolekcji", Studia Muzealne, XIV, Poznań, 1984, pp. 82—127.
18. The autobiography of Wincenty Raczyński, published by: A. Raczyński, Geschichtliche..., op. cii., pp. 414—435.
19. In 1797 he was sent as a special courier by the new Gr;md Master Ferdinand Hempeseh to the Tsar Pani the First.with
the mission of ratifyingthe treaty which the tsar had proposed, concerning Lhe establishment of a Russian-Catholic Prio-
rate (he brough the famous La Valetta Cross to Paul on this journey), and also with the task of convincing the Tsar to
assume the protectorship of the Knights. Cf. P. Czerwiński, Zakon Maltański i jego stosunki s Polską na przestrzeni dziejów*
Szkic historyczny, London, 1962, pp. 31, 111 and 163.
20. Cf. A. Ryszkiewicz, „Gregorio Fidanza (1759—1823)", [in:] Zbieracze i obrazy. Warszawa, 1972, pp. 261—278.
21. In the mid-1820's Palmaroli attained renown because of the new conservation methods which he applied. He restored,
for cxample,the most important pictures in the Dresden Gallery in 1826—27, inclnding the Sistine Madonna; see K. H
Weber,, ,Die Sixtinische Madonna. Bemerkungen zu Eraaltunszustand, maltechnisehen Aufbau, konservatorischen Mass-
nahrnen" ,Jahrbuch der Slaallichcn Kunslsammlungcn Dresden, Beitra ge, Berichte, 1983, Bd. 15 (Dresden 1985>.pp. 70—81.
Palmaroli also restored somc pictures purchased by Atanazy Raczyński in Italy.
116
the nineteenth century, was respected in Europę, while at homc be was the subject of sharp
criticism, and even downright condemnation, because of his political convictions.16 He gradually
became morę and more estranged from his home country because of his being connected with
the Prussian couit for many years, and also due to his disagreement with his family in Rogalin
after the tragic death of his brother in 1845. He founded yet another gallcry of family portraits
in Mały Gaj, his holding in Great Poland set up in 1825.17 After his son Karol (1817—99)
died without leaving any offspring, all of Atanazy's property, as Weil as the Berlin picture gal-
lery, passed into the hand of the so-called Courland branch of the Raczyńskis, the descendants
of Wincenty Raczyński, a distant cousin of Atanazy (the Rogalin line had been disinherited
previously).
At this stage a few words are due to Wincenty Raczyński (1771—1857). He was a Com-
mander of the Knights of Malta,18 and the founder of a line of Raczyński counts which survives
to this day outside Poland (mainly in both the Americas); this is the so-called house of Courland,
which is Germanized, but eager to claim Polish ancestry. Wincenty Raczyński was a colourful
character, and is worthy of mention for several reasons: he was brought up partly in Rogalin,
he w_as interested in art and maintained contacts with artists, and last but not least, he ac-
cumulated an impressive and valauble collection of paintings, which can be found today in
the National Musem in Poznań. He was born in Great Poland, and his father Józef was
a distant cousin of Kazimierz Raczyński. After the early death of Wincenty's parents, Kazi-
mierz took him under his protection and brought him to Rogalin. Later he sent him to a school
for pages in Warsaw. Wincenty accompanied Stanislaus Augustus on his journey to Kaniów.
Later he entered a cadets'corps, he became a Knight of Malta, and in 1791 he obtained the
title of Chamberlain; two years later Kazimierz Raczyński sent him to Malta to the Grand
Master. He was the only Polish member of the Order on the island at the time. He attained
an important position in Malta, and in 1797 was sent as envoy to the Tsar Paul the First; in
Russia he received the title of First Commander in the Russian Catholic Priorate. After Malta
Was taken over by the French, he settled for good in Mitau in Courland.19 He travelled widely
all over Europę, especially Italy, making many artistic contacts and buying pictures. Gregorio
Fidanza, a popular landscape painter and also an art dealer, was a friend of Wincenty and
acted as middleman for him when he was buying paintings.20 Piętro Palmaroli, a friend of Fi-
-danza's, who was later to gain fame in Europę as a restorer of pictures, painted Raczyń-
ski^ portrait in Rome.21
16. Cf. A. Dobrzycka, op. cit., p. 249, note 56.
17. A. Raczyński, Katalog der Familienporlraits in Gay, Berlin, 1866. The collection comprises 46 paintings by P. Batoni,
A. Graff, J. Grassi, J. Ch. Lampi, ,!". Gladysz, A. Roquemont, C. W. Wach, L. Fuhrmann and others, and also copies by
E. CzarnikoW, C. Cretius, C. Brasch and C. A. Henning. Cf. M. Pawlaczyk,,,Portrety Raczyńskich. Przyczynek do dziejów
rodziny i jej kolekcji", Studia Muzealne, XIV, Poznań, 1984, pp. 82—127.
18. The autobiography of Wincenty Raczyński, published by: A. Raczyński, Geschichtliche..., op. cii., pp. 414—435.
19. In 1797 he was sent as a special courier by the new Gr;md Master Ferdinand Hempeseh to the Tsar Pani the First.with
the mission of ratifyingthe treaty which the tsar had proposed, concerning Lhe establishment of a Russian-Catholic Prio-
rate (he brough the famous La Valetta Cross to Paul on this journey), and also with the task of convincing the Tsar to
assume the protectorship of the Knights. Cf. P. Czerwiński, Zakon Maltański i jego stosunki s Polską na przestrzeni dziejów*
Szkic historyczny, London, 1962, pp. 31, 111 and 163.
20. Cf. A. Ryszkiewicz, „Gregorio Fidanza (1759—1823)", [in:] Zbieracze i obrazy. Warszawa, 1972, pp. 261—278.
21. In the mid-1820's Palmaroli attained renown because of the new conservation methods which he applied. He restored,
for cxample,the most important pictures in the Dresden Gallery in 1826—27, inclnding the Sistine Madonna; see K. H
Weber,, ,Die Sixtinische Madonna. Bemerkungen zu Eraaltunszustand, maltechnisehen Aufbau, konservatorischen Mass-
nahrnen" ,Jahrbuch der Slaallichcn Kunslsammlungcn Dresden, Beitra ge, Berichte, 1983, Bd. 15 (Dresden 1985>.pp. 70—81.
Palmaroli also restored somc pictures purchased by Atanazy Raczyński in Italy.
116