DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.38678#0024
nut purchases and orders. The interest in the appearance and artistic level of the decoration of
the Castle was the first sign of Poniatowski^ cultural patronage; his artistic taste was closest to
France. As early as 1753,-in Paris, he had met the most outstanding representatives of French
culture and became a very close friend of Madame Geoffrin, in whose salon the best scholars
and artists gathered. Imports of French artistic works began in 1764. Slightly later, Stanislas
Augustus invited to his court three outstanding French artists. Jean Pillement arrived in the
spring of 1765; an excellent painter-decorator, who decorated the pałace interiors in the
“Chinese taste”, he has already been mentioned above; in the summer of the same year, the
eminent architect Victor Louis arrived for a short stay; and in 1768 the King sent for the
sculptor Andre Le Brun, who stayed in Poland until his death. From 1766 Marcello
Bacciarelli, who had known the Poniatowski family sińce 1756, when he came to Warsaw
from Dresden, worked most closely with the King on the Castle, and later on Łazienki.
It was recognized that the royal apartments on the first floor in the wing closest to the Vistula
River should be the first to be finished. It was for those apartments that in 1764 Czempiński
bought in Paris and Lyon wali hangings, clocks, mantlepiece vases, gueridons (candlestands),
desks, escritoires, mirrors, chandeliers, etc. Although the interior decoration in the early part
of the reign of Stanislas Augustus still contained rococo designs and motifs, in his letters to the
King Czempiński emphasized, clearly in accordance with the King’s intentions, that he had
tried in his purchases to include above all goods in the ancient spirit, in a definitely Greek
taste, buying among other things, for the throne, a galloon “a la Grec”, which may have
signified meander decoration.
The planned transformation of the Castle was from the very start aimed in three directions.
Firstly, it was important to create a complex of Parliament halls, including the imposing
Senatorial and Deputies’ Halls. Secondly, rooms weretobebuilt-correspondingtotheideas
of the Age of Enlightenment- tosatisfy the needsof royal cultural patronage, i.e. a Theatrical
Hall, Gallery, Library, and the rooms of the Academy of Fine Arts. Thirdly, attention was
paid to ways of creating a spacious area in the place of the Front Courtyard, i.e. between the
Old Town and Krakowskie Przedmieście, and of the layout of the area between the castle
escarpment and the bank of the Vistula River
From 1764 to 1773, Fontana was the generał director of the works. However, the King
wanted to give his residence as magnificent, modern appearance as possible. With this
intention, he brought over Victor Louis, although not in order to keep him in Warsaw
forever. Louis was supposed to see the edifice, make preliminary designs in Warsaw and then
later, in Paris, finish a project of the reconstruction of the Castle and serve the King in
purchases and orders from France. Louis came to Warsaw in the middle of 1765, madę here
a series of water colour sketches, which he later discussed with the King, and subseąuently, in
Paris, in 1766 worked out very beautiful water colour designs. The architecturalconceptions
of Louis were complemented with the designs of works of decorative arts for the castle
interiors. Most of these sketches and designs have been preserved in the Cabinet of Drawings
at Warsaw University Library.
In later years, Louis’s designs were used in shaping the interiors of the royal apartments and
reception halls. A great many of the decorative elements and furnishings in the interiors were
madę in Paris under the supervision of Louis and sent over to Poland. However, his
architectural and planning conceptions, bold and of high artistic value, were not im-
plemented. Over the first few years, the residential apartment of the K ing and some reception
halls adjacent to it were constructed to Louis’s design. But very soon, in just ten years, they
underwent complete change.
The f ire which broke out on December 15th, 1767 in the Southern wings of the Castle, on the
side of the road to the Yistula River, forced an acceleration of the construction work. In the
19
the Castle was the first sign of Poniatowski^ cultural patronage; his artistic taste was closest to
France. As early as 1753,-in Paris, he had met the most outstanding representatives of French
culture and became a very close friend of Madame Geoffrin, in whose salon the best scholars
and artists gathered. Imports of French artistic works began in 1764. Slightly later, Stanislas
Augustus invited to his court three outstanding French artists. Jean Pillement arrived in the
spring of 1765; an excellent painter-decorator, who decorated the pałace interiors in the
“Chinese taste”, he has already been mentioned above; in the summer of the same year, the
eminent architect Victor Louis arrived for a short stay; and in 1768 the King sent for the
sculptor Andre Le Brun, who stayed in Poland until his death. From 1766 Marcello
Bacciarelli, who had known the Poniatowski family sińce 1756, when he came to Warsaw
from Dresden, worked most closely with the King on the Castle, and later on Łazienki.
It was recognized that the royal apartments on the first floor in the wing closest to the Vistula
River should be the first to be finished. It was for those apartments that in 1764 Czempiński
bought in Paris and Lyon wali hangings, clocks, mantlepiece vases, gueridons (candlestands),
desks, escritoires, mirrors, chandeliers, etc. Although the interior decoration in the early part
of the reign of Stanislas Augustus still contained rococo designs and motifs, in his letters to the
King Czempiński emphasized, clearly in accordance with the King’s intentions, that he had
tried in his purchases to include above all goods in the ancient spirit, in a definitely Greek
taste, buying among other things, for the throne, a galloon “a la Grec”, which may have
signified meander decoration.
The planned transformation of the Castle was from the very start aimed in three directions.
Firstly, it was important to create a complex of Parliament halls, including the imposing
Senatorial and Deputies’ Halls. Secondly, rooms weretobebuilt-correspondingtotheideas
of the Age of Enlightenment- tosatisfy the needsof royal cultural patronage, i.e. a Theatrical
Hall, Gallery, Library, and the rooms of the Academy of Fine Arts. Thirdly, attention was
paid to ways of creating a spacious area in the place of the Front Courtyard, i.e. between the
Old Town and Krakowskie Przedmieście, and of the layout of the area between the castle
escarpment and the bank of the Vistula River
From 1764 to 1773, Fontana was the generał director of the works. However, the King
wanted to give his residence as magnificent, modern appearance as possible. With this
intention, he brought over Victor Louis, although not in order to keep him in Warsaw
forever. Louis was supposed to see the edifice, make preliminary designs in Warsaw and then
later, in Paris, finish a project of the reconstruction of the Castle and serve the King in
purchases and orders from France. Louis came to Warsaw in the middle of 1765, madę here
a series of water colour sketches, which he later discussed with the King, and subseąuently, in
Paris, in 1766 worked out very beautiful water colour designs. The architecturalconceptions
of Louis were complemented with the designs of works of decorative arts for the castle
interiors. Most of these sketches and designs have been preserved in the Cabinet of Drawings
at Warsaw University Library.
In later years, Louis’s designs were used in shaping the interiors of the royal apartments and
reception halls. A great many of the decorative elements and furnishings in the interiors were
madę in Paris under the supervision of Louis and sent over to Poland. However, his
architectural and planning conceptions, bold and of high artistic value, were not im-
plemented. Over the first few years, the residential apartment of the K ing and some reception
halls adjacent to it were constructed to Louis’s design. But very soon, in just ten years, they
underwent complete change.
The f ire which broke out on December 15th, 1767 in the Southern wings of the Castle, on the
side of the road to the Yistula River, forced an acceleration of the construction work. In the
19