Śluby Jana Kazimierza
1889
Imagine the pressure: it's 1656, Sweden is invading Poland (an event known as the 'Deluge'), and King John II Casimir is literally on his knees in the Cathedral of Lviv. In this energetic sketch by Jan Matejko, the King is making a desperate vow to dedicate the entire country to the Virgin Mary if she saves them—and spoiler alert, it worked! You can see the Queen in white looking on anxiously, while a knight in the foreground clutches a sword, ready for battle. The brushstrokes are loose and frantic, showing Matejko's raw creative process before he painted the giant, polished version of this scene. It’s history painting with the urgency of a breaking news report.
- Technique
- oil
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