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DOI Artikel:Miziołek, Jerzy: The story of Antiochus and Stratonice by a pupil of Jacques-Louis David: the painting by Józef Oleszkiewicz in the Lithuanian Art Museum in Vilnius
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18948#0133
Vilnius, and in 1810, he moved to St. Petersburg where he died twenty
years later.11
In the period between his return from Paris and the departure for
St. Petersburg Oleszkiewicz produced seyeral paintings depicting classical
themes. One of them was Thetis Bńnging the Armour to Achilles in Mourning
for Patroclus.12 13 Also from this period comes the painting which is the subject
of this study, Antiochus and Stratonice. It was this painting, exhibited together
with the previously mentioned painting produced for Chodkiewicz, that
was to pave the way to Oleszkiewicz’s academic career. In St. Petersburg
Oleszkiewicz became acąuainted with Polish expatriates and was ąuickly
recognised and acclaimed at the czar’s court.11 In 1815, Oleszkiewicz painted,
among other works, Death of Clytemnestra.14 In the imperial Capital the
artist befriended, among others, Adam Mickiewicz who lmmortalised him in
the third part of Forefathers’ Eve (Dziady, część III).1' Later, Oleszkiewicz
displayed inclination to mysticism and supposedly had a gift for clairyoyance.16
The painting in ąuestion, composed strictly according to the rules of maturę
classicism, does not reveal features of the artist’s character, which were to
surface in the second half of his stay in St. Petersburg.
2. Literary sources of Antiochus and Stratonice
Seyeral literary sources from classical antiąuity mention the distressed but
happily concluded love affair between Antiochus, son of Seleucus I (one of
Alexander the Great’s generals) and his stepmother, Stratonice. The story is
related in: the famous Factorum et dictorum memorabilium by Valerius
Maximus,1 Lines of Famous Men by Plutarch,12 19 AppiaiTs Roman Historyk and
finally in one of the two series of Dialogues by (the Pseudo-) Lucian.20 On the
11 Morawski, op. cit., p. 113. For the Petersburg period in 01eszkiewicz’s work cf. also
A.E. Odyniec, Listy z podróży, vol. 1, Warszawa 1961, pp. 33-37 and footnote 15.
12 Cf. Ryszkiewicz, Francusko-polskie..., op. cit., pp. 155-156. Among the classical themes taken
up by Oleszkiewicz in the early period were Death ofCato, Ganimede, Olimpus, scenes from the
life of Harmodios and Aristogeiton.
13 For a large allegorical painting Empress Maria Fyodorovna’s Solicitude and Care for the Poor,
1812 (now housed in the State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg) the artist was granted academical
title in historical painting, cf. Bialynicka-Birula, op. cit., p. 259; W kręgu..., op. cit., cat. IV/17,
pp. 226-227.
14 Bialynicka-Birula, op. cit., 1998, p. 259.
15 Odyniec, op. cit., p. 592, footnote 15.
16 Rawita-Gawroński, op. cit., pp. 273-285.; cf. also Odyniec, op. cit., p. 34.
17 Valerio Massimo, Detti e fatti memorabili (testo latino a fronte), a cura di R. Faranda, Torino
1988, lib.V, cap. 7, ext 1, pp. 380-383 (De patrum amore et indulgentia in liberos).
18 Plutarch, “Demetrius”, in Plutarch’s Lines, with an English trans, by B. Perrin, vol. 9 (Loeb
Classical Library), London-New York 1920, pp. 92-97 (cap. XXXVIII, 2). Cf. also Plutarchus,
Vite parallelae illustrium nirorum a diversis interpretus latine facte, ed. princeps curata da Giovanni
Antonio Campano, Hurlich Han, Roma 1470, cc. 200r-200v.
19 Appian, Roman History, with an English trans, by H. White, vol. 2, (Loeb Classical Library),
London, New York 1932, pp. 217-223 (De rebus Syriacis, cap. 59-61).
20 Lucian, “The Goddesse of Surrye (Syria)”, in Lucian, with an English trans, by A.M. Harmon,
vol. 4 (Loeb Classical Library), London-New York 1925, pp. 361-365.
127
years later.11
In the period between his return from Paris and the departure for
St. Petersburg Oleszkiewicz produced seyeral paintings depicting classical
themes. One of them was Thetis Bńnging the Armour to Achilles in Mourning
for Patroclus.12 13 Also from this period comes the painting which is the subject
of this study, Antiochus and Stratonice. It was this painting, exhibited together
with the previously mentioned painting produced for Chodkiewicz, that
was to pave the way to Oleszkiewicz’s academic career. In St. Petersburg
Oleszkiewicz became acąuainted with Polish expatriates and was ąuickly
recognised and acclaimed at the czar’s court.11 In 1815, Oleszkiewicz painted,
among other works, Death of Clytemnestra.14 In the imperial Capital the
artist befriended, among others, Adam Mickiewicz who lmmortalised him in
the third part of Forefathers’ Eve (Dziady, część III).1' Later, Oleszkiewicz
displayed inclination to mysticism and supposedly had a gift for clairyoyance.16
The painting in ąuestion, composed strictly according to the rules of maturę
classicism, does not reveal features of the artist’s character, which were to
surface in the second half of his stay in St. Petersburg.
2. Literary sources of Antiochus and Stratonice
Seyeral literary sources from classical antiąuity mention the distressed but
happily concluded love affair between Antiochus, son of Seleucus I (one of
Alexander the Great’s generals) and his stepmother, Stratonice. The story is
related in: the famous Factorum et dictorum memorabilium by Valerius
Maximus,1 Lines of Famous Men by Plutarch,12 19 AppiaiTs Roman Historyk and
finally in one of the two series of Dialogues by (the Pseudo-) Lucian.20 On the
11 Morawski, op. cit., p. 113. For the Petersburg period in 01eszkiewicz’s work cf. also
A.E. Odyniec, Listy z podróży, vol. 1, Warszawa 1961, pp. 33-37 and footnote 15.
12 Cf. Ryszkiewicz, Francusko-polskie..., op. cit., pp. 155-156. Among the classical themes taken
up by Oleszkiewicz in the early period were Death ofCato, Ganimede, Olimpus, scenes from the
life of Harmodios and Aristogeiton.
13 For a large allegorical painting Empress Maria Fyodorovna’s Solicitude and Care for the Poor,
1812 (now housed in the State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg) the artist was granted academical
title in historical painting, cf. Bialynicka-Birula, op. cit., p. 259; W kręgu..., op. cit., cat. IV/17,
pp. 226-227.
14 Bialynicka-Birula, op. cit., 1998, p. 259.
15 Odyniec, op. cit., p. 592, footnote 15.
16 Rawita-Gawroński, op. cit., pp. 273-285.; cf. also Odyniec, op. cit., p. 34.
17 Valerio Massimo, Detti e fatti memorabili (testo latino a fronte), a cura di R. Faranda, Torino
1988, lib.V, cap. 7, ext 1, pp. 380-383 (De patrum amore et indulgentia in liberos).
18 Plutarch, “Demetrius”, in Plutarch’s Lines, with an English trans, by B. Perrin, vol. 9 (Loeb
Classical Library), London-New York 1920, pp. 92-97 (cap. XXXVIII, 2). Cf. also Plutarchus,
Vite parallelae illustrium nirorum a diversis interpretus latine facte, ed. princeps curata da Giovanni
Antonio Campano, Hurlich Han, Roma 1470, cc. 200r-200v.
19 Appian, Roman History, with an English trans, by H. White, vol. 2, (Loeb Classical Library),
London, New York 1932, pp. 217-223 (De rebus Syriacis, cap. 59-61).
20 Lucian, “The Goddesse of Surrye (Syria)”, in Lucian, with an English trans, by A.M. Harmon,
vol. 4 (Loeb Classical Library), London-New York 1925, pp. 361-365.
127