Studia Waweliana (14.2009)

and the Rembrandt” - an unknown painting by the Dutch master in
the purchase of which Lanckoroński mediated.
In Adolph Bayersdorfer’s family archives apart from letters there
are also handwritten poems by Karol Lanckoroński and over fifty
photographs. They are mainly family portraits, for Lanckoroński sent
photographs of himself as well as of his wife and children. In August
1893, before the birth of his son Antoni, Lanckoroński wrote with great
excitement that he was expecting “a daughter or a son”. On 20 August
1898, nine days after the birth of his daughter Karolina, he wrote, “A
sturdy daughter was born to me on the 1 Ith day of this month, whom
we plan to cali Karla. She has brown hair, blue eyes and an enormous
appetite. She’s too long for her crib and I intend to put her on show as
a circus giant in Munich and elsewhere in 16 years time ...”.
The most apparent evidence of the remarkable affection
Karol Lanckoroński had for his great friend is the fact that after

Bayersdorfer’s death he remained in close contact with his close family.
“The three Bayersdorfer ladies”, as he jokingly referred to his wife,
daughter-in-law and granddaughter (Bayersdorfer’s son Willi, with
whom Lanckoroński also corresponded, suddenly died of a heart attack
a few months after his daughter was born) were always sent letters,
Christmas presents and family photographs. “Der uralte Grossvater
Lanckoroński”, as he referred to himself, also regularly visited them.
He sent them a letter with Christmas greetings in December 1932 and
on 9 ApriI 1933 wrote to Willi’s wife, clearly disturbed by the situation
in Germany, “I fail to understand the politics and many matters arouse
my concem about what is to become of Germany”. This was thirty
two years after the death of the person who was responsible for a
considerable portion of his famous painting collection, and whom he
considered a close friend throughout his life.
tłumaczyła Irena French