EQUESTRIAN PORTRAIT OF SIGISMUND III,
workshop of Peter Paul Rubens,
Gripsholm Castle |
THE EAGLE AND THREE CROWNS is another large exhibition presenting historical links between Poland and its neighbors. Our relations with Sweden have varied over time. The two countries have sometimes shared kings, at others fought brutal, bloody wars. Created through cooperation between Swedish and Polish museums and collections, the exhibition strives to provide the broadest possible view of the difficult history of Poland and neighboring Sweden.
In his introduction to the impressive catalogue published for the exhibition, Professor Andrzej Rottermund, director of the Royal Castle in Warsaw, writes: "The exhibition, divided into five sections, illustrates both historical and artistic issues, and underlines those moments in history when the destinies of Poland and Sweden intertwined. During the modern era, the two countries, neighboring on each other over the Baltic Sea, were brought together through dynastic links that began with the marriage of Prince John of Finland (who subsequently became King John III of Sweden) and Katarzyna Jagiellonka. This event and the two dynasties - the Vasas and Jagiellons - are the subject of the first part of the exhibition. The second section focuses on the eighty years during which the Vasas sat on the Polish throne, which began in 1586 with the ascension of Sigismund III - son of John III and Katarzyna, and ended in 1668 with the abdication of King John Casimir.
Bracelet of Anne Vasa and hunting horn of Sigismund III |
This period, often difficult and complicated in political terms, remains controversial and is viewed variously by historians. It was nevertheless a source of artistic inspiration for subsequent generations and remains very much alive today in the minds of Poles, primarily through literature. The items on display emphasize important political events of the period, illustrate the activities of Sigismund III and his sons in the realm of architecture, the visual arts, and the decorative arts. They also testify to the artistic quality of royal commissions and foundations.
Armour of Sigismund August,
by Kunz Lochner, Nurnberg, mid. 16th century, Stockholm, Livrustkammaren (Royal Armoury) |
Another vast topic of the exhibition is the difficult and ultimately tragic period of the Polish-Swedish wars, fought during the 17th and at the beginning of the 18th century, from the struggle for Livland, through the war in Prussia, the Swedish Deluge and the Northern War. The final part of the exhibition presents Enlightenment period monarchs Gustavus III and Stanislaus Augustus, underlining the stance of the two rulers, typical of the period. Both were patrons of science and art, collectors, initiators of arts industries and largely similar to each in terms of their interests and actions."
Approximately 400 artifacts have been assembled for the exhibition, including 150 from various Swedish collections. The exhibit includes items like the PORTRAIT OF THE JAGIELLO FAMILY - a painting from the studio of Lucas Cranach the Younger; EQUESTRIAN PORTRAIT OF SIGISMUND III from the studio of Peter Paul Rubens; the PORTRAIT OF GUSTAVUS II ADOLPHUS, referred to also as the PORTRAIT IN POLISH DRESS - by Matthäus Merian the Elder; PORTRAIT OF KARL GUSTAVUS X by Sebastien Bourdon; a series of portraits by Per Kraft; the armor of Sigismund August crafted in the Nuremberg shop of Kunz Lochner; the famous STOCKHOLM ROLL commemorating the arrival in 1602 in Krakow of Constance of Austria (second wife of Sigismund Vasa III), the royal banner of Sigismund III; a TOURNAMENT BOOK dating from the Polish Renaissance; and a drawing by Erik Dahlberg depicting the panorama of Warsaw in 1656, many superb gold items and jewelry pieces, two golden cups shaped like globes of the Earth and Sky, both created in Nuremberg workshops between 1618 and 1620. Also on view will be military equipment, many exquisite examples of side arms and firearms, a ships compass and the deer horn handles of a seaman's bag from the Swedish warship SOLEN, which sank during the sea battle at Oliwa in November of 1627, as well as documents, drawings, prints and medals that collectively comment a variety of events that occured during the numerous military campaigns.
PORTRAIT OF JOHN III VASA, King of Sweden, by Lambrecht Ryckx (?), ca 1569 - 1570, Stockholm, Nordiska Museet |
Hussar armour, Poland, second half of the 17th century, Kraków, Muzeum Czartoryskich |
A voluminous Polish-English catalogue containing essays by Polish and Swedish researchers on historical and artistic issues accompanies the exhibition. The publication also includes information on the artifacts in the exhibition and images of all items on display.
Honorary guests at the opening of THE EAGLE AND THREE CROWNS were King Charles Gustav XVI and Queen Sylvia of Sweden.
Royal Castle in Warsaw
(Zamek Królewski w Warszawie)
pl. Zamkowy 4, 00-277 Warsaw
tel. (+48 22) 657 21 70
www.zamek-krolewski.art.pl