Department XII - European painting and sculpture
Department XII - European painting and sculpture
The curatorial scope of this Department embraces Polish and European paintings, miniatures and sculptures from the Czartoryskis’ collection initiated by Princess Izabela at Puławy (early 19th century) and expanded by Władysław Czartoryski (second half of the 19th century), as well as paintings and sculptures from other countries, owned by the National Museum in Krakow and collected since its inception in 1879. The collection is kept and exhibited permanently in the building of the Princes Czartoryski Museum (entrance from 19 św. Jana St.).
The Museum’s magnet, Leonardo’s Lady with an Ermine (ca. 1490) is the only work by this artist in Poland. Its is a rarity on a global scale as well because Leonardo did not leave many paintings and only a few museums in the world can boast of having them. Another masterpiece is Rembrandt’s Landscape With A Good Samaritan (1638), one of the six independent oil landscapes the artist executed. Both were exhibited at Puławy (Gothic House), together with Raphael’s Portrait Of A Youth which got lost during World War II. Lorenzo Lotto’s Adoration Of Child (ca. 1508 ), a painting of high value, is the property of the National Museum in Krakow.
Permanent exhibitions feature upward of 400 works from the holdings of this Department, which have been selected for their outstanding artistry or historical significance. The canvases, miniatures and sculptures – Polish and foreign - that are outside the scope of current exhibitions or do not represent an satisfactory artistic level are stored (e.g. Henryk Pillati’s Rag Picker, Artur Grottger’s Fryne). Major stored sections include: 17th-19th-century portrait miniatures; 18th-19th-century European and Polish portraits; 18th-19th-century European landscape and genre painting; 19th-century European sculpture; and a collection of contemporary Italian paintings (second half of the 20th century) compiled from gifts of Italian painters for the National Museum in Krakow. The stored holdings are accessible for research purposes and loaned for exhibitions.
All resources of the Department, on view or stored, are under the ongoing care of the Painting Conservation Studio located at the building of the Princes Czartoryski Museum.
The Museum’s magnet, Leonardo’s Lady with an Ermine (ca. 1490) is the only work by this artist in Poland. Its is a rarity on a global scale as well because Leonardo did not leave many paintings and only a few museums in the world can boast of having them. Another masterpiece is Rembrandt’s Landscape With A Good Samaritan (1638), one of the six independent oil landscapes the artist executed. Both were exhibited at Puławy (Gothic House), together with Raphael’s Portrait Of A Youth which got lost during World War II. Lorenzo Lotto’s Adoration Of Child (ca. 1508 ), a painting of high value, is the property of the National Museum in Krakow.
Permanent exhibitions feature upward of 400 works from the holdings of this Department, which have been selected for their outstanding artistry or historical significance. The canvases, miniatures and sculptures – Polish and foreign - that are outside the scope of current exhibitions or do not represent an satisfactory artistic level are stored (e.g. Henryk Pillati’s Rag Picker, Artur Grottger’s Fryne). Major stored sections include: 17th-19th-century portrait miniatures; 18th-19th-century European and Polish portraits; 18th-19th-century European landscape and genre painting; 19th-century European sculpture; and a collection of contemporary Italian paintings (second half of the 20th century) compiled from gifts of Italian painters for the National Museum in Krakow. The stored holdings are accessible for research purposes and loaned for exhibitions.
All resources of the Department, on view or stored, are under the ongoing care of the Painting Conservation Studio located at the building of the Princes Czartoryski Museum.