DOI article:
Niemira, Konrad: Augustyn Mirys: nowe ustalenia i hipotezy badawcze
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51255#0158
- Hennin mentions that Mirys, while in Warsaw, painted not only portraits, but
also sujetsgalants (currently unknown).34 Hennins noting the latter is particularly
intriguing. It is possible that Miryss works were one of the first implementations
of this type of painting in the Commonwealth. The only sujets galants known to
me, dating from before 1753, are the imported overdoors for the Golden Salon
in Puławy (probably madę by Charles-Michel-Ange Challe around 1749 and
installed in 1752, today known only from drawings inventory).35 Although we
should abstain from any categorical opinions (as secular decorative painting
of the Saxon era is an unrecognized phenomenon), it cannot be ruled out that
Mirys was one of the pioneers of sujets galants in Warsaw. The question remains
as to who might have been the client for Miryss genre paintings. Without enter-
ing into speculation, it is worth mentioning that at the time when Hennin was
writing the letter in question, hetman Branicki, one of Miryss patrons, was just
decorating his pałace in the Capital.36
X- X- X-
Can Mirys be regarded an “en vogue” artist, if we consider the reports on the sujets
galants that he painted? An artist, who introduced new painting genres to mag-
nate mansions, or an artist, who was able to respond to new expectations of his
clients? The evidence in this case can be an anonymous pastel kept in the col-
lection of the Lviv National Art Gallery.37 I believe that the Portrait of a man,
reproduced here for the first time, can be associated with Mirys (see: Figurę 1).
The arrangement and the composition, the shape of the skuli, the characteristic
nose, large and straight, the form and fleshiness of his lips, and even the hair-
style of the model evoke associations with Miryss Self-portrait (Poznań Society
of Friends of Sciences, deposit at the National Museum in Poznań, see: Figurę 2).
Is the Lviv pastel a portrait of Mirys by one of Warsaws pastel artists? The style
of the portrait does not resemble the known works by Louis Marteau (who ar-
rived in Warsaw before 1752). No known works of Daniel Ernst Poltz survive
(who was a pastel artist active in Warsaw sińce 1749, and who maintained social
relations with Mirys in the next decade)38 - therefore, it is impossible to carry out
a comparative analysis. However, taking into account the fact that in the second
half of the eighteenth century Mirys created at least three self-portraits (two at
the National Museum in Poznań, one at the Lithuanian Art Museum in Vilnius)
as well as willingly placed his image in religious scenes, one can hypothesize that
34 Unfortunately, it is impossible to establish whether Mirys was the author of the Garden scene,
only based on the reproduction included in Szymańskis monograph (fig. 130, n.p.). In 1964,
the painting was a part of a private collection in Kraków, and I have not been able to ascertain
where it is at present.
35 Plates developed by Johann Sigmund Deybel (son) are kept in the Hermitage collection. As
a side notę of these considerations, the earliest mention of the presence of engravings according
to Antoine Watteau in the Commonwealth comes from 1742 - it was then that a set of a dozen
or morę copper engravings, perhaps depicting just sujets galantes, was brought from Paris by
the castellan of Kraków Stanisław Poniatowski, see: agad, arp, 337, f. 55
36 E. Kowecka, Dwór “Najrządniejszego w Polszczę magnata”; A. Oleńska, Jan Klemens Branicki.
G-n-205: pastel, paper, 33 x 23 cm.
38 The mnw collection features the portrait of Poltzs wife, attributed to Mirys.
Augustyn Mirys: newfindings and hypotheses
157
also sujetsgalants (currently unknown).34 Hennins noting the latter is particularly
intriguing. It is possible that Miryss works were one of the first implementations
of this type of painting in the Commonwealth. The only sujets galants known to
me, dating from before 1753, are the imported overdoors for the Golden Salon
in Puławy (probably madę by Charles-Michel-Ange Challe around 1749 and
installed in 1752, today known only from drawings inventory).35 Although we
should abstain from any categorical opinions (as secular decorative painting
of the Saxon era is an unrecognized phenomenon), it cannot be ruled out that
Mirys was one of the pioneers of sujets galants in Warsaw. The question remains
as to who might have been the client for Miryss genre paintings. Without enter-
ing into speculation, it is worth mentioning that at the time when Hennin was
writing the letter in question, hetman Branicki, one of Miryss patrons, was just
decorating his pałace in the Capital.36
X- X- X-
Can Mirys be regarded an “en vogue” artist, if we consider the reports on the sujets
galants that he painted? An artist, who introduced new painting genres to mag-
nate mansions, or an artist, who was able to respond to new expectations of his
clients? The evidence in this case can be an anonymous pastel kept in the col-
lection of the Lviv National Art Gallery.37 I believe that the Portrait of a man,
reproduced here for the first time, can be associated with Mirys (see: Figurę 1).
The arrangement and the composition, the shape of the skuli, the characteristic
nose, large and straight, the form and fleshiness of his lips, and even the hair-
style of the model evoke associations with Miryss Self-portrait (Poznań Society
of Friends of Sciences, deposit at the National Museum in Poznań, see: Figurę 2).
Is the Lviv pastel a portrait of Mirys by one of Warsaws pastel artists? The style
of the portrait does not resemble the known works by Louis Marteau (who ar-
rived in Warsaw before 1752). No known works of Daniel Ernst Poltz survive
(who was a pastel artist active in Warsaw sińce 1749, and who maintained social
relations with Mirys in the next decade)38 - therefore, it is impossible to carry out
a comparative analysis. However, taking into account the fact that in the second
half of the eighteenth century Mirys created at least three self-portraits (two at
the National Museum in Poznań, one at the Lithuanian Art Museum in Vilnius)
as well as willingly placed his image in religious scenes, one can hypothesize that
34 Unfortunately, it is impossible to establish whether Mirys was the author of the Garden scene,
only based on the reproduction included in Szymańskis monograph (fig. 130, n.p.). In 1964,
the painting was a part of a private collection in Kraków, and I have not been able to ascertain
where it is at present.
35 Plates developed by Johann Sigmund Deybel (son) are kept in the Hermitage collection. As
a side notę of these considerations, the earliest mention of the presence of engravings according
to Antoine Watteau in the Commonwealth comes from 1742 - it was then that a set of a dozen
or morę copper engravings, perhaps depicting just sujets galantes, was brought from Paris by
the castellan of Kraków Stanisław Poniatowski, see: agad, arp, 337, f. 55
36 E. Kowecka, Dwór “Najrządniejszego w Polszczę magnata”; A. Oleńska, Jan Klemens Branicki.
G-n-205: pastel, paper, 33 x 23 cm.
38 The mnw collection features the portrait of Poltzs wife, attributed to Mirys.
Augustyn Mirys: newfindings and hypotheses
157