DOI article:
Niemira, Konrad: Augustyn Mirys: nowe ustalenia i hipotezy badawcze
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51255#0156
Information on Miryss arrival to Poland is of foremost importance to the
reconstruction of the painters biography. If the artist left Romę only in 1739, we
should exclude the possibility that he was brought there by prince Jan Stanisław
Jabłonowski - because, as mentioned earlier, the latter died in 1731. Adoption of a
new datę of arrival necessarily suggests the new candidate for the painters first
“patron”. Namely, it is known that Jan Kajetan Jabłonowski, son of Jan Stanisław,
travelled around Europę in 1738-1739, visiting both Romę and Paris.23 Was Jan
Kajetan Jabłonowski the one to “have brought” Mirys from Romę with him? And
who had the artist worked for before then?
The Roman sojourn of Jan Kajetan Jabłonowski is unfortunately poorly
documented. In Polish literaturę, two episodes thereof are often recounted:
Jabłonowskis meeting with Jacob iii Stuart and obtaining a power of attorney
from him to manage the property remaining in the Commonwealth after his
deceased wife (Jacob Stuart was a widowed by Maria Klementyna Sobieska who
had been related to the Jabłonowski family); and then: Jabłonowskis acquisition
of the relics of Saint Victor (that later found their way to Marijampole).24 Based
on foreign literaturę, we can add a few minor episodes here: Jabłonowski arrived
in Romę no later than December 19,1738, because his meeting with the Saxon
elector Frederic Christian was recorded on that day.25 Then on January 9,1739,
Jabłonowskis presence was noted in the Palazzo Mancini, which was the seat
of the French Academy. Jabłonowski watched the award ceremony from the pri-
vate apartment of the ambassador de Saint-Aignan located at the Palazzo (among
others, the young sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle was honoured at that time).26
Jabłonowski left Romę on January 23,1739 and went to Paris, taking with him
the relics of Saint Victor.27
In the context of Miryss biography, the most interesting is of course
Jabłonowskis visit to Palazzo Mancini, as it confirms the Princes contact with
the French diaspora in Romę (to which Mirys could have belonged, theoretically),
and his relationship with de Saint-Aignan, whom - let us recall - Batowski saw
as Miryss patron. Although Batowski did not support the thesis that Mirys had
transferred from Duke de Saint-Aignan to Prince Jabłonowski, he seems to have
been aware of the kinship between the Jabłonowski and Saint-Aignan.28 Duke de
Saint-Aignan was the cousin of Jan Kajetans mother, Joanna Jabłonowska (nee
23 H. Wereszycka, Jabłonowski Jan Kajetan, in: Polski Słownik Biograficzny, vol. io, Wrocław-War-
szawa 1962-1964, pp. 223-224.
24 Ibidem; A. Betlej, Sibi, Deo, posteritati, p. 146. Morę references therein.
25 Journal of Joseph Anton von Wackerbarth-Salmour addressed to August iii, edited by M. Cassidy-
-Geiger, notę of 25 December 1738, comtedelusace.wordpress.com/1738/12/25/wackerbarth-
dispatch-dated-dec-25-i738-rome/> (accessed: 10 October 2018).
26 Correspondence between abbe Certaine (secretary to ambassador Saint-Aignan) and Jean
Jacąues Amelot (the French Minister of Foreign Affairs), letter from Romę of 16 December 1739;
Correspondance des Directeurs, vol. 9, p. 359. Jabłonowskis stay in Romę coincided with the visit
of young Emperor Elect Frederick Christian Wettin, travelling incognito as comte de Lusace.
Compare: M. Cassidy-Geiger, Die grandę Kur: Prinz Friedrich Christian von Sachsen aur der
Suche nach Heilung und Kultur in Italien 1738-1740, Dresden 2018.
27 H.M. von Briihl, Journal, entry of 24 January 1739, edited by M. Cassidy-Geiger, https://comt-
edelusace.wordpress.com (accessed: 10 October 2018).
28 K. Niemira, Augustę Mirys et les debuts mysterieux, p. 185-190; Joanna and her husband Jan Stanisław
Jabłonowski travelled to France several times, and their daughter, Jan Kajetans sister, Maria
Jabłonowska, married Anne-Charles Frederic de La Tremoille, duke de Chatellerault, in 1730.
Augustyn Mirys: newfindings and hypotheses
155
reconstruction of the painters biography. If the artist left Romę only in 1739, we
should exclude the possibility that he was brought there by prince Jan Stanisław
Jabłonowski - because, as mentioned earlier, the latter died in 1731. Adoption of a
new datę of arrival necessarily suggests the new candidate for the painters first
“patron”. Namely, it is known that Jan Kajetan Jabłonowski, son of Jan Stanisław,
travelled around Europę in 1738-1739, visiting both Romę and Paris.23 Was Jan
Kajetan Jabłonowski the one to “have brought” Mirys from Romę with him? And
who had the artist worked for before then?
The Roman sojourn of Jan Kajetan Jabłonowski is unfortunately poorly
documented. In Polish literaturę, two episodes thereof are often recounted:
Jabłonowskis meeting with Jacob iii Stuart and obtaining a power of attorney
from him to manage the property remaining in the Commonwealth after his
deceased wife (Jacob Stuart was a widowed by Maria Klementyna Sobieska who
had been related to the Jabłonowski family); and then: Jabłonowskis acquisition
of the relics of Saint Victor (that later found their way to Marijampole).24 Based
on foreign literaturę, we can add a few minor episodes here: Jabłonowski arrived
in Romę no later than December 19,1738, because his meeting with the Saxon
elector Frederic Christian was recorded on that day.25 Then on January 9,1739,
Jabłonowskis presence was noted in the Palazzo Mancini, which was the seat
of the French Academy. Jabłonowski watched the award ceremony from the pri-
vate apartment of the ambassador de Saint-Aignan located at the Palazzo (among
others, the young sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle was honoured at that time).26
Jabłonowski left Romę on January 23,1739 and went to Paris, taking with him
the relics of Saint Victor.27
In the context of Miryss biography, the most interesting is of course
Jabłonowskis visit to Palazzo Mancini, as it confirms the Princes contact with
the French diaspora in Romę (to which Mirys could have belonged, theoretically),
and his relationship with de Saint-Aignan, whom - let us recall - Batowski saw
as Miryss patron. Although Batowski did not support the thesis that Mirys had
transferred from Duke de Saint-Aignan to Prince Jabłonowski, he seems to have
been aware of the kinship between the Jabłonowski and Saint-Aignan.28 Duke de
Saint-Aignan was the cousin of Jan Kajetans mother, Joanna Jabłonowska (nee
23 H. Wereszycka, Jabłonowski Jan Kajetan, in: Polski Słownik Biograficzny, vol. io, Wrocław-War-
szawa 1962-1964, pp. 223-224.
24 Ibidem; A. Betlej, Sibi, Deo, posteritati, p. 146. Morę references therein.
25 Journal of Joseph Anton von Wackerbarth-Salmour addressed to August iii, edited by M. Cassidy-
-Geiger, notę of 25 December 1738, comtedelusace.wordpress.com/1738/12/25/wackerbarth-
dispatch-dated-dec-25-i738-rome/> (accessed: 10 October 2018).
26 Correspondence between abbe Certaine (secretary to ambassador Saint-Aignan) and Jean
Jacąues Amelot (the French Minister of Foreign Affairs), letter from Romę of 16 December 1739;
Correspondance des Directeurs, vol. 9, p. 359. Jabłonowskis stay in Romę coincided with the visit
of young Emperor Elect Frederick Christian Wettin, travelling incognito as comte de Lusace.
Compare: M. Cassidy-Geiger, Die grandę Kur: Prinz Friedrich Christian von Sachsen aur der
Suche nach Heilung und Kultur in Italien 1738-1740, Dresden 2018.
27 H.M. von Briihl, Journal, entry of 24 January 1739, edited by M. Cassidy-Geiger, https://comt-
edelusace.wordpress.com (accessed: 10 October 2018).
28 K. Niemira, Augustę Mirys et les debuts mysterieux, p. 185-190; Joanna and her husband Jan Stanisław
Jabłonowski travelled to France several times, and their daughter, Jan Kajetans sister, Maria
Jabłonowska, married Anne-Charles Frederic de La Tremoille, duke de Chatellerault, in 1730.
Augustyn Mirys: newfindings and hypotheses
155