DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.33086#0017
Chancellor Jerzy Ossolinski in his Warsaw palace and in the
castle of Ossolin. This magnate whose arrival in Rome as
King Wiadysiaw IV's ambassador was a European sensation,
gathered mainly Italian works in his gallery of paintings.
Marshal Zygmunt Myszkowski owned a gallery of paintings
in Cracow, and his successor, Marshal Mikoiaj Wolski, had
a large collection of paintings, chiefly Italian, in his pa-
lace at Krzepice near Cracow. Large and valuable collec-
tions were those of Adam Kazanowski in Warsaw, of Rafal
Leszczynski in Great Poland (Wielkopolska), of the Opalin-
sltis at Sierakow and Rytwiany, of the Lubomirskis at
Wisnicz. The princes RadziwiH amassed large collections
in their estates in Lithuania. That of Boguslaw Radziwiil
was particularly rich; in the middle of the 17th century, his
gallery comprised about 1,000 paintings, including works by
Albrecht Durer, Paolo Veronese, twenty-four paintings by
the Cranachs, numerous Dutch paintings, a large collection
of portraits and historical scenes. Like many Central Euro-
pean rulers of that time, he also possessed a rich cabinet
of art and curiosities, including various rarities such as
ornate caskets, enamel and ivory objects, clocks, mathema-
tical instruments, skeletons, shells, samples of American-
Indian craftsmanship, etc.
Polish art collections in the first half of the 17th century
thus occupied an important place among European collec-
tions. It is perhaps worth mentioning that under Wlady-
slaw IV, Poland achieved considerable success in another
field of art as well. The Papal Nuncios, Visconti and
Filonardi, praised the royal operas and ballets presented
at the Castle in Warsaw, and the Frenchman Laboureur
wrote that the royal orchestra was considered the finest
in Europe.
The cataclysm of war that devastated Poland in the years
1650—60, marked an end of all these collections. All of
Poland was destroyed, plundered and greatly impoverished,
but Warsaw suffered most. What was left of the art objects
of the royal collections, was taken to France by King John
Casimir upon his abdication in 1668. Those were tapestries,
goldsmiths' products, as well as 150 paintings, including
"Diana in the Bath" and "Acteon" by Rembrandt. That
decade, known in Poland as "The Deluge", brought to
Poland's art and culture irreparable losses that were never
made up.
In the last ^iuarter of the 17th century, a gallery of 241
paintings was established by King John Sobieski. It is
interesting to note that his collection included five works
by Rembrandt: "A Portuguese Rabbi", "Jewess in a Beret",
"The Adoration of the Magi", "Abraham and Hagar" and
"Portrait of an Old Man". In the King's suburban summer
residence at Wilanow, the central salon was called The
Dutch Cabinet, on account of Dutch paintings hanging on
its walls. A large part of Sobieski's collection was taken
abroad by his daughter Theresa Kunegunda upon her mar-
riage to the Bavarian Elector Maximilian-Emmanuel. Some
of the paintings taken by her remain in the Bavarian
collections. After the King's death, his collection was dis-
persed, Wilanow was sold, and the royal family moved
to Rome.
The first half of the 18th century was most unfavourable
14
castle of Ossolin. This magnate whose arrival in Rome as
King Wiadysiaw IV's ambassador was a European sensation,
gathered mainly Italian works in his gallery of paintings.
Marshal Zygmunt Myszkowski owned a gallery of paintings
in Cracow, and his successor, Marshal Mikoiaj Wolski, had
a large collection of paintings, chiefly Italian, in his pa-
lace at Krzepice near Cracow. Large and valuable collec-
tions were those of Adam Kazanowski in Warsaw, of Rafal
Leszczynski in Great Poland (Wielkopolska), of the Opalin-
sltis at Sierakow and Rytwiany, of the Lubomirskis at
Wisnicz. The princes RadziwiH amassed large collections
in their estates in Lithuania. That of Boguslaw Radziwiil
was particularly rich; in the middle of the 17th century, his
gallery comprised about 1,000 paintings, including works by
Albrecht Durer, Paolo Veronese, twenty-four paintings by
the Cranachs, numerous Dutch paintings, a large collection
of portraits and historical scenes. Like many Central Euro-
pean rulers of that time, he also possessed a rich cabinet
of art and curiosities, including various rarities such as
ornate caskets, enamel and ivory objects, clocks, mathema-
tical instruments, skeletons, shells, samples of American-
Indian craftsmanship, etc.
Polish art collections in the first half of the 17th century
thus occupied an important place among European collec-
tions. It is perhaps worth mentioning that under Wlady-
slaw IV, Poland achieved considerable success in another
field of art as well. The Papal Nuncios, Visconti and
Filonardi, praised the royal operas and ballets presented
at the Castle in Warsaw, and the Frenchman Laboureur
wrote that the royal orchestra was considered the finest
in Europe.
The cataclysm of war that devastated Poland in the years
1650—60, marked an end of all these collections. All of
Poland was destroyed, plundered and greatly impoverished,
but Warsaw suffered most. What was left of the art objects
of the royal collections, was taken to France by King John
Casimir upon his abdication in 1668. Those were tapestries,
goldsmiths' products, as well as 150 paintings, including
"Diana in the Bath" and "Acteon" by Rembrandt. That
decade, known in Poland as "The Deluge", brought to
Poland's art and culture irreparable losses that were never
made up.
In the last ^iuarter of the 17th century, a gallery of 241
paintings was established by King John Sobieski. It is
interesting to note that his collection included five works
by Rembrandt: "A Portuguese Rabbi", "Jewess in a Beret",
"The Adoration of the Magi", "Abraham and Hagar" and
"Portrait of an Old Man". In the King's suburban summer
residence at Wilanow, the central salon was called The
Dutch Cabinet, on account of Dutch paintings hanging on
its walls. A large part of Sobieski's collection was taken
abroad by his daughter Theresa Kunegunda upon her mar-
riage to the Bavarian Elector Maximilian-Emmanuel. Some
of the paintings taken by her remain in the Bavarian
collections. After the King's death, his collection was dis-
persed, Wilanow was sold, and the royal family moved
to Rome.
The first half of the 18th century was most unfavourable
14