Nicolaus Copernicus. Sketch for the painting “Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God”

Description

The idea to paint the artwork Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God was connected with the 400th anniversary of the astronomer’s birth. The MNK collection holds a sketch for the canvas that is currently housed in the Jagiellonian University Museum.

Henryk Levittoux—a physician, naturalist, art lover, and friend of the Matejko family—served as the model of Copernicus. Matejko depicted the great scholar on a terrace against the backdrop of Frombork’s buildings. The astronomer is the centre of the composition: semi-kneeling, gazing at the sky with one hand raised. In his left hand, he holds a compass. In the background, one can see the Vistula Lagoon and the Gothic cathedral of Frombork, where the astronomer spent most of his life as a canon of the chapter. The astronomical instruments arranged around the scholar date mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries. There is no doubt that Matejko, as a historian and collector, was aware of this—such an approach was consistent with the conventions of painting practiced by the artist. The author preceded his work with studies of the masterpiece at the Jagiellonian Library and the Archaeological Cabinet of the Jagiellonian University. The sketch is characterized by greater freedom in brushwork and a more varied painterly texture than what we see in the finished painting, completed two years later, in 1873.

We invite you to read more about this object in the digital collection catalogue of the National Museum in Kraków. Author of the entry: Marta Kłak-Ambrożkiewicz.

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