Jan Matejko (1838–1893)
Portrait of Piotr Moszyński, 1874
Gift of Ksawery Pusłowski, 1951
imnk
miniaturka

material: oil on canvas

dimensions: 190 × 123 cm

description: Piotr Moszyński (1800–1879) was a political and social activist, philanthropist and collector. In 1873, he became the head of the Civic Committee set up to purchase Matejko’s painting "Copernicus", and later he tried to get the nomination for the painter to the position of director of the School of Fine Arts in Krakow, which prevented the artist from going to Prague. Moszyński and Matejko met many times during the rebuilding of several Krakow churches after the fire of 1850. The artist often borrowed historic pieces from Moszyński’s collection to paint them in his works. The image of Moszyński is one of the biggest and most beautiful portraits by Matejko. The young artist flattered his sitter a little. He cleverly concealed his short height, sitting him on the chair and portraying him from the bottom perspective, which has monumentalized the model. Moszyński is portrayed in the national costume, the kontush (an outer garment worn by Polish nobles) and the żupan (a long, often colourful, garment) with a sash, against a background of the old arms and an ornamental pectoral plate with the image of Mother of God. A comfortable pose and a focused but friendly expression encourage to get to know this modest man, at the same time inspiring respect for his work and commitment to helping the needy. Barbara Ciciora

exposition: The Gallery of 19th Century Polish Art in Sukiennice,
The Cloth Hall, 1, Main Market Square


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