Lorentz, Stanisław; Rottermund, Andrzej: Neoclassicism in Poland (Warsaw, 1986)

Architectural Draft Design

Jakub Fontana (1710-1773)
1 [I] Warsaw, Royal Castle, Marble Chamber, view of the
northern wali, 1770-1771
Inventory of the northern wali, drawing by J. Ch. Kam-
setzer, 1784, India ink and water colour, 24x50; the
inscription on the jacket refers to a set of 5 drawings:
“Projet pour la Chambre de Marbre en 1768. V Feuilles”
and “par Fontana en 1768”; Cabinet of Drawings, Warsaw
Univ. Lib., Royal Collection, T. 189 no 16
The Marble Chamber was situated in the eastern wing on
the side of the courtyard. In the reign of Ladislas IV it was
used for reception purposes and was damaged later on. It
was rebuilt in 1770-1771 to a design by J. Fontana of 1768.
The royal portraits were painted by M. Bacciarelli, the
ceiling painting by M. Bacciarelli and J.B. Plersch, sculp-
tures by A. Le Brun, stucco work by A. Bianchi and
Merck, stone work by Dollinger. At the order of Paskewich
the Chamber was stripped of marble and furnishings and
the royal portraits taken away to Russia. In 1922, part of
the furnishings of the Chamber were returned to the Castle
where they remained until September 1939.
If it isaccepted, following Batowska, that J. Ch. Kamsetzer
drew them, then they were madę in 1784 when Kamsetzer
was carrying out measurements at the Castle. The
Chamber was conceived of as a reception hall which
commemorated Polish monarchs. As in the Knights’ Hall,
also here the King intended to have the many centuries of
the history of the Polish State recalled to the contem-
poraries. A return to history was one of the major tenden-
cies in the Age of Enlightenment, which was particularly
strongly reflected in the closest entourage of King Stanislas
Augustus.
Bibliography: N. and Z. Batowski, M. Kwiatkowski, Jan Chrystian
Kamsetzer, architekt Stanisława Augusta (Jan Chrystian Kamsetzer,
Architect of Stanislas Augustus - in Polish), Warsaw 1978, p. 100
Victor Louis (1731-1800)
2 [p. 7] Warsaw, Royal Castle, draft design of the Ball-
room, 1765
Cross-section with a view of the window wali; India ink and
water colour, 20x34.5; with the inscription: “Coupe de la
Salle de Bal No 11, par Louis a Varsovie en 1765”; Cabinet
of Drawings, Warsaw Univ. Lib., Royal Collection, T. 192
no 18
The interior which was to become the Ballroom was formed
as a result of the extensive reconstruction and expansion
under Augustus III, but it was left unfinished at that time.
This was a two-storey reception hall on a rectangular plan
with rounded corners. Louis intended to decorate it with
48 łonie wali columns which would have stood all round it,
supporting the gallery. The shafts of these columns were to

be fluted and garlanded. The Hall, despite the noticeable
reserve in decoration, makes the impression of a rococo
room rather than a neoclassical one. The idea of the
rhythmical articulation of the interior with wali columns all
round it was undertaken in 1777 by the architects who took
part in a competition for the decoration of the Ballroom.
Bibliography: Catalogue of Drawings, part 1, Varsaviana, item 262, p. 83;
Lorentz, Work of Louis, pp. 39-74
Victor Louis
3 [IV] Warsaw, Royal Castle, draft design of the Throne
Room, 1766
The wali with the royal throne; India ink and water colour,
30x77.5; with the inscription: “Development de la
chambre du Dais No 12. ducoteduTróne. env. deParisen
1766”; Cabinet of Drawings, Warsaw Univ. Lib., Royal
Collection, T. 192 no 36
The designs which'Louis madę for the interiors of the
Castle were never carried out, However, some elements of
the decoration and furnishings of the interiors designed by
Louis, such as bronzes, furniture, textiles, vases, sculpted
woodwork etc., continued to be brought in from Paris Until
1778. D. Merlini used these elements in the interiors which
he designed. In the Throne Room, which was to be situated
next to the Bali Room (in the place where the Knights’ Hall
was later sited), there were early neoclassical motifs of
laurel wreaths, wreathed eagles, fasces and doors with
a motif of crossed standards. Some dissonance was intro-
duced into the early neoclassical wali composition by two
niche sculptures in traditional baroąue pose.
Bibliography: Lorentz, Work of Louis, pp. 39-74; Cataiogue of
Drawings, part 1, Varsaviana, item 285, p. 87; F. G. Pariset, Jeszcze
o pracach Wiktora Louisa dla Zamku warszawskiego (Morę Ab out the
Work of Victor Louis for the Warsaw Castle - in Polish), BAH, XXIV,
1962, no 2, pp. 137-148.
Victor Louis
4 [V] Warsaw, Royal Castle, draft design of the Bed-
chamber, 1766
The wali with the King’s bed; India ink and water colour,
25 x66; with the inscription: “Development de la chambre
a coucher No. 14. du cbte du Lit.”, “Paris 1766”; Cabinet
of Drawings, Warsaw Univ. Lib., Royal Collection T. 192
no 28
In this design the Bedchamber was situated in the place of
the later Throne Room. The composition of the interior
was typical of the early stage of neoclassicism with its
freąuent reference to the architecture of the times of Louis
XVI. New decorative elements drawn from classical
buildings were introduced and at the same time the
typically rococo, extremely intensive colour was preserved
in the interiors. Paintings and sculpture of rococo form and
theme were also ąuite freąuent. The interior of the Bed-

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