DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.33086#0018
to collecting in Poland, as it was to Polish culture in
general, and to Poland's politicai and social history. The two
Saxon kings, Augustus II and Augustus III, did assemble a
splendid art collection, not in Warsaw, however, but in
their own hereditary capital — Dresden. Outstanding works
of art, brought Irom Warsaw, were also to be lound there.
II. IN THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
The Age of Enlightenment marked a new and important
stage in the history of European collections and museums.
In the middle of the 18th century, the iirst large public
museum — the British Museum in London, was established.
In Italy, the Medici collections in Florence were transformed
into the Uffizi Gallery, the huge Vatican collections were
reorganized and partly acquired the character of a museum;
the Museum oi Naples was established. Finally, the French
Revolution converted the Louvre not only into a public
museum but the world's first museum to be truly accessible
to everybody. In St. Petersburg, the Hermitage was esta-
blished, a great museum which absorbed many a famous
collection, such as the Briihl collection of Dresden, and —
through the mediation of Voltaire, Diderot, Grimm and
others — such well-known collections from France as those
of Crozat, the Duke oi Orleans and Tronchin, and the
Walpoie collection from England.
The Age of the Englightenment in Poland was a period oi
a great progressive intellectual upheaval. At the outset of
that period, in the middle of the 18th century, a great public
library was established in Warsaw by the brothers Zaluski;
and, in the second half of the 18th century, a lively de-
velopment of cultural life was accompanied by an upsurge
in collecting.
King Stanisiaw Augustus Poniatowski was an avid collector
himseli. During his reign (1761—95), he managed, in spite
of limited means, to create a very large gallery with 2,300
paintings. Best represented in this gallery was Dutch paint-
ing, with five works by Rembrandt: "The Polish Rider"
(now in the Frick Collection in New York), "Jewish Bride"
and "The Father of the Bride" (formerly in the Lanckoron-
ski collection in Vienna), "Christ in the Crown of Thorns"
(The Hermitage), and "Portrait of Maerten Day" (The Na-
tional Museum in Warsaw). French 18th-century painting
was well represented by works of Watteau. Boucher, Frago-
nard, Greuze, Hubert Robert, David and others; and the
Italian veduta by some scores of works by Bernardo Bellotto
Canaletto. The King also had collections of sculptures, inta-
glios, coins and medals and prints, and a natural history
collection. The gallery was not one compact set. The paint-
ings were hung in the Royal Castle, in the Lazienki Palace,
and in other royal buildings, constituting an important ele-
ment of the interior decoration, alongside of statues, tapes-
tries and furniture. Remaining in Warsaw until the present
day are only 170 paintings and a small number of statues
(in the Gallery of Paintings of the National Museum at
Lazienki and Wilanow) as well as a part of the Cabinet
of Prints (at the University Library). The rest were scattered
15
general, and to Poland's politicai and social history. The two
Saxon kings, Augustus II and Augustus III, did assemble a
splendid art collection, not in Warsaw, however, but in
their own hereditary capital — Dresden. Outstanding works
of art, brought Irom Warsaw, were also to be lound there.
II. IN THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
The Age of Enlightenment marked a new and important
stage in the history of European collections and museums.
In the middle of the 18th century, the iirst large public
museum — the British Museum in London, was established.
In Italy, the Medici collections in Florence were transformed
into the Uffizi Gallery, the huge Vatican collections were
reorganized and partly acquired the character of a museum;
the Museum oi Naples was established. Finally, the French
Revolution converted the Louvre not only into a public
museum but the world's first museum to be truly accessible
to everybody. In St. Petersburg, the Hermitage was esta-
blished, a great museum which absorbed many a famous
collection, such as the Briihl collection of Dresden, and —
through the mediation of Voltaire, Diderot, Grimm and
others — such well-known collections from France as those
of Crozat, the Duke oi Orleans and Tronchin, and the
Walpoie collection from England.
The Age of the Englightenment in Poland was a period oi
a great progressive intellectual upheaval. At the outset of
that period, in the middle of the 18th century, a great public
library was established in Warsaw by the brothers Zaluski;
and, in the second half of the 18th century, a lively de-
velopment of cultural life was accompanied by an upsurge
in collecting.
King Stanisiaw Augustus Poniatowski was an avid collector
himseli. During his reign (1761—95), he managed, in spite
of limited means, to create a very large gallery with 2,300
paintings. Best represented in this gallery was Dutch paint-
ing, with five works by Rembrandt: "The Polish Rider"
(now in the Frick Collection in New York), "Jewish Bride"
and "The Father of the Bride" (formerly in the Lanckoron-
ski collection in Vienna), "Christ in the Crown of Thorns"
(The Hermitage), and "Portrait of Maerten Day" (The Na-
tional Museum in Warsaw). French 18th-century painting
was well represented by works of Watteau. Boucher, Frago-
nard, Greuze, Hubert Robert, David and others; and the
Italian veduta by some scores of works by Bernardo Bellotto
Canaletto. The King also had collections of sculptures, inta-
glios, coins and medals and prints, and a natural history
collection. The gallery was not one compact set. The paint-
ings were hung in the Royal Castle, in the Lazienki Palace,
and in other royal buildings, constituting an important ele-
ment of the interior decoration, alongside of statues, tapes-
tries and furniture. Remaining in Warsaw until the present
day are only 170 paintings and a small number of statues
(in the Gallery of Paintings of the National Museum at
Lazienki and Wilanow) as well as a part of the Cabinet
of Prints (at the University Library). The rest were scattered
15