DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.23631#0035
culture emerged, a signally Polish original style fascinating to its representatives and foreigners alike,
though the latter tended to view it with some amazement. A great number ol objects from that period
have been preserved to this day, many may be viewed in museums. Praises ol the Sarmatian culture
and style of life were sung by Adam Mickiewicz in his great epic poem Pan Tadeus\ by Henryk
Sienkiewicz in his Trilogy, by Ignacy Kraszewski in his historical novels, by Andnolli in his prints and
by Juliusz Kossak in his watercolours.
Contemporary literature and iconography are of great assistance in reconstructing a true picture ol the
Sarmatian epoch. A great deal of such material is available, though ol varying quality. Documentary
information is provided by guild books with lists of manufactures and rules regarding quality of products,
by libri taxarum or books listing prices of different wares, law court documents on disputes involving
craftsmen, various inventories, lists of goods imported to and exported from Poland by local and foreign
merchants, lists of war trophies and documents drawn up following troop inspections. Descriptions
of beautiful objects produced by craftsmen abound in Sarmatian literature, in works by such authors
as Mikolaj Rej, Marcin Kramer, Wespazjan Kochowski, Waclaw Potocki, Jan Chryzostom Pasek,
John Sobieski and J^drzej Kitowicz. Of greatest interest is the work by Kitowicz, A. Description of Customs
and Mores During the Reign of Augustus III, written in circa 1788 and published only in 1840, when
many passages, whole chapters even, were omitted. This is an incomparable work, unique of its kind,
a true reflection of the customs and way of life in Sarmatian Poland, 'under the sweet reign ol the Saxon
King'. Kitowicz (1728 —1804) was born in Great Poland. Having failed to complete school he went
into service at Court; later he fought in the Confederacy of Bar (1768—72) and finally took holy
orders. A man of turbulent spirit, he could never remain long in one place, travelled the length and
breadth of the country, knew good times and bad, attended regional diets and rallies, was never absent
from hunts or banquets, managed his estates with great skill, was an excellent shot and brilliant horseman,
a connoisseur of wine and horses. He was a staunch supporter of 'golden freedom', ol the elective throne
and liberum veto (if only one deputy vetoed a motion in the Seym, that motion fell and .ill laws already
voted were automatically rendered null and void), deeply convinced that with the death ol Augustus 111,
Poland's good fortunes had come to an end. As a writer, he paid great attention to detail, described
people, their customs and habits, their dress, belongings, objects they used and things they hkecl to surround
themselves with. Endowed with an extraordinary capacity for observation and an excellent memory, he-
gave an accurate review of religious denominations active in Poland in the Saxon period, including deism
and freemasonry, discussed 'spiritual morality' — that is religious rites and customs — as well as worldly
'lay' morality and immorality. He proceeded to describe the upbringing of children, life at school, the life
of both the monastic and lay clergy, the judicature (going into detailed descriptions of tortures), conditions
in the army, court life, customs and habits prevailing at the courts of magnates, their servants and retinue,
dishes, wines and drinks served, banqueting and drinking bouts at regional diets, attires worn by ladies
and gentlemen, the appearance of manor houses, household furniture, beds and bedclothes, horses and
carriages, games and amusements, carnival revelry, masked balls and sledge rides, gambling, the Paster
Monday custom of dousing girls with water and midsummer-nights rites. Kitowicz had first hand
knowledge of army life and customs, and contemporary Polish army uniforms and weapons, as well as
weapons, sabres in particular, worn in everyday life by the gentry. In fact he gave us an outline history
not only of prevailing customs and mores, but also of contemporary material culture, in which works
of artistic craftsmanship played a role of such importance. Pew comparable works of this kind are to be
found in world literature.
A rich picture of this epoch is conveyed' in numerous paintings, engravings, Sarmatian portraits
painted in West European style, often by foreign artists invited to this country, historical and genre scenes
and religious paintings. All these works provide a great deal of information on artistic craftsmanship in
that period, though, as is the case with literature, the reliability of information contained in individual
works varies. Generally speaking, iconography may be assessed from the point ol view of its credibility
or lack of it, according to whether the objects shown are faithfully depicted or not, whether subjects
were chosen haphazardly, or with some guiding purpose, whether thev are shown separately or collectively,
that is whether they form part of a larger composition, in which they have some specific role to play.
Iconographic material which illustrates objects of artistic craftsmanship from any given period must always
be carefully cross-checked and verified. Not all artists displayed the same fidelity to the original as did
Flemish masters in their still-lifes. Just as not every human figure shown in a painting was a portrait.
though the latter tended to view it with some amazement. A great number ol objects from that period
have been preserved to this day, many may be viewed in museums. Praises ol the Sarmatian culture
and style of life were sung by Adam Mickiewicz in his great epic poem Pan Tadeus\ by Henryk
Sienkiewicz in his Trilogy, by Ignacy Kraszewski in his historical novels, by Andnolli in his prints and
by Juliusz Kossak in his watercolours.
Contemporary literature and iconography are of great assistance in reconstructing a true picture ol the
Sarmatian epoch. A great deal of such material is available, though ol varying quality. Documentary
information is provided by guild books with lists of manufactures and rules regarding quality of products,
by libri taxarum or books listing prices of different wares, law court documents on disputes involving
craftsmen, various inventories, lists of goods imported to and exported from Poland by local and foreign
merchants, lists of war trophies and documents drawn up following troop inspections. Descriptions
of beautiful objects produced by craftsmen abound in Sarmatian literature, in works by such authors
as Mikolaj Rej, Marcin Kramer, Wespazjan Kochowski, Waclaw Potocki, Jan Chryzostom Pasek,
John Sobieski and J^drzej Kitowicz. Of greatest interest is the work by Kitowicz, A. Description of Customs
and Mores During the Reign of Augustus III, written in circa 1788 and published only in 1840, when
many passages, whole chapters even, were omitted. This is an incomparable work, unique of its kind,
a true reflection of the customs and way of life in Sarmatian Poland, 'under the sweet reign ol the Saxon
King'. Kitowicz (1728 —1804) was born in Great Poland. Having failed to complete school he went
into service at Court; later he fought in the Confederacy of Bar (1768—72) and finally took holy
orders. A man of turbulent spirit, he could never remain long in one place, travelled the length and
breadth of the country, knew good times and bad, attended regional diets and rallies, was never absent
from hunts or banquets, managed his estates with great skill, was an excellent shot and brilliant horseman,
a connoisseur of wine and horses. He was a staunch supporter of 'golden freedom', ol the elective throne
and liberum veto (if only one deputy vetoed a motion in the Seym, that motion fell and .ill laws already
voted were automatically rendered null and void), deeply convinced that with the death ol Augustus 111,
Poland's good fortunes had come to an end. As a writer, he paid great attention to detail, described
people, their customs and habits, their dress, belongings, objects they used and things they hkecl to surround
themselves with. Endowed with an extraordinary capacity for observation and an excellent memory, he-
gave an accurate review of religious denominations active in Poland in the Saxon period, including deism
and freemasonry, discussed 'spiritual morality' — that is religious rites and customs — as well as worldly
'lay' morality and immorality. He proceeded to describe the upbringing of children, life at school, the life
of both the monastic and lay clergy, the judicature (going into detailed descriptions of tortures), conditions
in the army, court life, customs and habits prevailing at the courts of magnates, their servants and retinue,
dishes, wines and drinks served, banqueting and drinking bouts at regional diets, attires worn by ladies
and gentlemen, the appearance of manor houses, household furniture, beds and bedclothes, horses and
carriages, games and amusements, carnival revelry, masked balls and sledge rides, gambling, the Paster
Monday custom of dousing girls with water and midsummer-nights rites. Kitowicz had first hand
knowledge of army life and customs, and contemporary Polish army uniforms and weapons, as well as
weapons, sabres in particular, worn in everyday life by the gentry. In fact he gave us an outline history
not only of prevailing customs and mores, but also of contemporary material culture, in which works
of artistic craftsmanship played a role of such importance. Pew comparable works of this kind are to be
found in world literature.
A rich picture of this epoch is conveyed' in numerous paintings, engravings, Sarmatian portraits
painted in West European style, often by foreign artists invited to this country, historical and genre scenes
and religious paintings. All these works provide a great deal of information on artistic craftsmanship in
that period, though, as is the case with literature, the reliability of information contained in individual
works varies. Generally speaking, iconography may be assessed from the point ol view of its credibility
or lack of it, according to whether the objects shown are faithfully depicted or not, whether subjects
were chosen haphazardly, or with some guiding purpose, whether thev are shown separately or collectively,
that is whether they form part of a larger composition, in which they have some specific role to play.
Iconographic material which illustrates objects of artistic craftsmanship from any given period must always
be carefully cross-checked and verified. Not all artists displayed the same fidelity to the original as did
Flemish masters in their still-lifes. Just as not every human figure shown in a painting was a portrait.