ROYAL PORTRAITS – VASES

The Cabinet of Drawings and Engravings of the Princes Czartoryski Museum presents assorted engravings from the collection with  images of successive electoral kings of Poland from the Vasa dynasty. The portraits on display are works by prominent Dutch artists of the 16th to 17th centuries.

Some of them are elaborate allegorical compositions glorifying the ruler. They all prove the craftsmanship of the old masters, who used their styluses to render the softness of fabrics in robes and draperies, the richness of laces and the brilliance of jewels. Some portraits are probably known from various publications but – like all engravings – they are rarely seen in the original. Particularly noteworthy are the equestrian portraits depicting Ladislaus IV and Cecilia Renata, as well as their rich backgrounds with a battle around a besieged fortress ( portrait of the king) and a deer hunt (portrait of the queen).