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

the peasants, above all the skilful use of the effect of
artificial lighting.
Bibliography: V. Drema, Franciśkus Smuglevićius, Vilna 1973, pp.
166-167
Franciszek Smuglewicz
183 [179] The Oath of Kościuszko in the Cracow Market
Place; oil on canvas, 104x 118.5, signed “Franciscus Smu-
glewicz Pinxit Anno 1797. Varsovie”; National Museum in
Warsaw, inv. no 189047 (deposit of the National Museum
in Poznań, inv. no Mp 339)
Smuglewicz painted religious themes, genre scenes,
portraits, landscapes and wali decoration. Apart from
historical motifs, he had a predilection for contemporary
themes, representing, for example, “The Death of Jakub
Jasiński” or “The Oath of Kościuszko”. In the latter work
he shows us the appearance of those who participated in
this historie event. In the foreground it is possible to
recognize General Kościuszko, A. Madaliński, S. Wodzie -
ki, Canon W. Sierakowski, and the painter himself is seen
on the left. The individually characterized personages are
contrasted with the sćhematically painted figures of the
soldiers. Smuglewicz’s painting enjoyed great popularity;
it was copied and also became the pattern for Stachowicz’s
later composition on the same subject.
Bibliography: V. Drema, Franciśkus Smuglevićius, Vilna 1973, p. 155;
Ryszkiewicz, Polish Group Porcrail, pp. 95-98
Józef Peszka (1767-1831)
184 [XXII] Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski, 1791; oil on
canvas, 154x 109.5; National Museum in Warsaw, inv. no
2690
Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski was a son of August Aleksan-
der Czartoryski and Maria Zofia Czartoryska, nee Sieniaw-
ska. He was, among other things, one of the founders and
commander of the Cadet Corps, fellow of the Warsaw
Society of the Friends of Science and an outstanding patron
of science, literaturę and the arts. In the portrait he is
shown in a golden dress coat, with an ermine-lined overcoat
thrown over his shoulders, with the band and star of the
White Eagle Order on his chest. This portrait of Czartory-
ski was one of a series of portraits of eminent political
personages from the period of the Four-Year Parliament,
which Józef Peszka painted at the order of the Warsaw
town authorities for the Town Hall. Apart from the portrait
of Stanisław Kubicki, thatof A.K. Czartoryski is one of the
best in this series. In the composition and the treatment of
the model an attempt can be discerned to combine the rules
of official court painting and the strong tradition of the
native portrait painting, freąuently called Sarmatian.
Bibliography: J. Kąkolewska, Twórczość Józela Peszki (The Work of
Józef Peszka - in Polish), BAH, XVI, 1954, no 1, pp. 135—145; Portraits of
Polish Personages, item 37, p. 50

Aleksander Kucharski (1741-1819)
185 [XXIII] Portrait of the Dauphin (Louis XVII), 1794;
oil on canvas, 45x37.5; signed “Kucharskyfecit en 1794”;
Royal Castle in Warsaw, inv. no ZKW/296
Aleksander Kucharski was a Polish painter who worked in
France throughout his life. His historical significance is
mainly due to his authorship of the last two portraits of
Marie Antoinette. In addition to the latter, his portraits of
the Dauphin enjoyed the greatest famę. They are striking
with the representiveness of approach and the atmosphere
of internal calm. Batowski has determined that Kuchar-
ski^ first task on the subject was a miniaturę portrait. He
repeated the arrangement from the miniaturę several
times. Collections in France include two smali portraits
signed and dated 1792. The portrait, dated 1794, one of the
gifts for the collections of the Royal Castle, was a repetition
of his own earlier representation of the Dauphin.
Bibliography: Z. Balowski, Aleksander Kucharski, (in:) Prace z. Historii
Sztuki wydawane przez Towarzystwo Naukowe W'arszawskie(Art Histo-
ry Papers Published by the Warsaw Scientific Society-in Polish), vol. III,
no 1, Warsaw 1948, pp.22-25
Jean Pierre Norblin de la Gourdaine (1745-1830)
186 [180] Arkadia, Diana’s Tempie, Aurora, ceiling
painting, 1783-1785; fresco
Jean Pierre Norblin, a French painter, was brought to
Poland in 1774 by the ducal Czartoryski family. In about
1790 he settled in Warsaw. In 1804 he returned to Paris. He
left an extremely rich artistic output. Apart from idealized
paintings in the rococo taste, he painted and drew realistic
scenes inspired by Polish political events, Polish customs
and social reality. He also plied decorative painting, and his
most outstanding achievement in this field was the decora-
tion of the ceiling at the Diana’s Tempie at Arkadia by
a fresco representing Aurora. In this work he came closest
to the ideals of classical painting. This composition makes
a monumental impression, an effect which was usually
sought in neoclassical art.
Bibliography: Z. Batowski, Norblin (in Polish), Lvov 1911, pp. 84-86
Jean Pierre Norblin de la Gourdaine
187 [181] Polish Marionettes, c. 1780; oil on wood, 29x24;
National Museum in Warsaw, inv. no 179330
The painting shows a Nativity play taking place in a rather
indefinite interior; perhaps at one of the pavilions at
Powązki, the sentimental park of the Czartoryski family.
The most important painter’s problem in this composition
was the introduction of the effects of an interplay of Iight
and shadow. Throughout his artistic career Norblin stu-
died the work of Rembrandt and Dutch masters of light.
The Marionettes was probably an effect of this fascination
by the art of the masters. Wierzbicki has attempted to
define the personae of the painting: they include Maria
Czartoryska and Izabela Czartoryska, who are seated on the

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