Prussian Homage (painting)

Prussian Homage
Artist Jan Matejko
Year 1879-1882 (1879-1882)
Type Oil on canvas
Dimensions 388[1] cm × 785[1] cm (152.75 in × 309.05 in)
Location Sukiennice Museum, Kraków
Owner Kraków National Museum

The Prussian Homage (Polish: Hołd pruski) is an oil on canvas painting by Polish painter Jan Matejko painted between 1879 and 1882 in Kraków, then part of Austria-Hungary. It depicts a tribute made by Albrecht Hohenzollern, the Duke of Prussia, to King Sigismund I the Old in the Kraków market square on 10 April 1525; the key political event of the time of the Polish Renaissance, known as the Prussian Homage. It is regarded as a historical painting which shows the triumphal past of Poland, the glory of its culture and the majesty of its kings.[2]

At the same time, the painting has darker undertones, reflecting the troubled times that befell Poland (in the late 18th century, the Kingdom of Prussia would become one of the partitioning powers that ended the independence of Poland).[2] Matejko created his painting to remind others about the history of the no-longer-independent country he loved, and about the changing fates of history.[2] The painting is counted among his masterpieces.[2]

Contents

History

Donation of the painting

Matejko began to paint it on the Christmas Eve of 1879 and finished it in 1882.[3] The Prussian Homage was donated by Matejko to the Polish nation (technically, to the city of Kraków)[4] during the meeting of the Diet of Galicia in Lwów (today's Lviv) on 7 October 1882,[5] to initiate the collection designed to revive the remodeling of the Wawel Castle.[4] It was then exhibited in Kraków, Lviv and Warsaw, as well as in Berlin, Paris, Budapest, and most notably in Rome and Vienna,[4] returning to Kraków in 1885. The Royal Wawel Castle at that time was occupied by the Austrian army, as Kraków was part of the Austrian partition of Poland, and it was decided then that the painting would be temporarily exhibited in the Sukiennice Museum.[6]

The pro-Polish and anti-Prussian character of the painting caused William I, German Emperor to object to a proposal about rewarding Matejko; during this period Prussia engaged in attempts to suppress Polish culture on its territory and replace it with German culture.[2] During World War II, in occupied Poland, this painting, together with the Matejko's painting on the battle of Grunwald, was one of the two paintings on the "most wanted" list by the Nazis, who engaged in a systematic action of trying to physically destroy all artifacts of Polish culture.[2][7][8][9] It was, fortunately, hidden and safeguarded through the course of the war (in the town of Zamość).[2][7][8]

For most of the 20th and the 21st centuries the painting has been deposited in the National Museum gallery in the Sukiennice Museum, in Kraków,[5] where it is usually displayed in the Prussian Homage Hall.

As of 29 August 2011 (2011 -08-29), the painting has been dismantled for an art exhibition entitled "Side by Side Poland - Germany" promoted by the 1000 Years of Art and History project of the Royal Warsaw Castle in cooperation with the Martin-Gropius-Bau exhibition hall in Berlin. The exhibition will be open to the general public in Berlin from 23 September 2011 to 9 January 2012.[10]

Restoration works

The renovation works in the Sukiennice Museum began on 12 June 2008 while the painting underwent restoration. It was not available for viewing by the general public during this time. It had previously undergone several restoration works in 1915 and 1938. During World War II, it was briefly sent to Zamość where it was damaged. In 1945 it underwent another restoration, and in 1974 it found itself once again in the hands of restorers before going on public exhibition in Moscow. The last restoration process took place between 2006 and 2008 when the painting was finally restored to its former glory.[11]

Significance

The painting is considered among Matejko's most famous works; it is also one of his largest canvases.[2] It portrays an event of significant political triumph for Poland (the Prussian Homage), where Poland was able to enforce its will over Prussia.[2] Prussia latter gained independence and turned against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, becoming one of the partitioners of Poland; Matejko's painting was created during the partition period, when no independent Poland existed, and like many of Matejko's other works, it was meant to remind the Polish people of their most famous historical triumphs.[2]

At the same time, the painting, through inclusion, gestures and facial expressions of certain characters, foreshadows the tragedies of the future.[2] This is visible, for example in the figures of the king Sigismund I the Old and Albrecht Hohenzollern, who is kneeling before him.[2] Sigismund is portrayed as a powerful and majestic figure, but not threatening; he treats Albrecht lightly, signifying that this event was only a temporary victory, not a total, lasting domination, crushing his opponent.[2] Albrecht's character is portrayed with many signs of a villainous intent: he kneels on both legs, which a duke should do only in front of a God, not a sovereign, which implies he does not see Sigismund as a sovereign; he grips his standard strongly, but touches the Bible only gingerly; the standard flies on a military lance, implying the future militarization of Prussia.[2] Finally, there is a gauntlet on the ground, an implied challenge to Sigismund from Albrecht.[2]

The painting, due to its critique of Albrecht, and the portrayed event, is often seen as strongly anti-Prussian.[2] Despite being on the surface about the glory of Poland, it is also critical of Poland; Matejko went beyond just portraying the glory of a historical event, but also intended to show how the history would play out, and that this event was but an empty victory that was not exploited properly, and failed to secure Poland's future.[2] Matejko knows that the homage was an empty gesture, that it was Prussia who exploited it rather than Poland.[2] Nobody in the painting is smiling, save for one lady of the court, engaged in irrelevant gossip.[2]

The painting has been the subject of numerous art historical studies, and reinterpreted through the works of artists such as Tadeusz Kantor.[2][8] In 1992, the Piwnica pod Baranami group organized a historical reenactment of the painting.[2]

Historical characters in the painting

The painting depicts numerous important figures of the Polish Renaissance period.[2] As he often did, Matejko took some liberties and portrayed characters who were not present at the actual historical event of the Prussian Homage.[2]

In the center of the painting are Sigismund I the Old and, kneeling before him, Albrecht Hohenzollern.[2] Sigismund Augustus is shown here as a 5-year-old boy wearing a red dress, held up by Piotr Opaliński, the court house tutor.[2] Matejko portrayed Józef Szujski, professor of the Jagiellonian University, as Opaliński.[2] Thirty one other political figures contemporary with the event are also depicted,[12] including:

There are also generic characters of some significance:

At the top of the painting, a dove, symbol of peace, can be seen.[2]

Matejko painted fragments of the Sukiennice in Renaissance style, a form only dates from the year 1555, after a fire which destroyed the building in its original Gothic style (the portrayed event took place in 1525).[2] The building was reconstructed by the Italian architect Giovanni II Mosca from Padua.[13] St. Mary's Basilica is visible in the background.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Welcome. "Prussian Homage at Wawel Castle". Welcome.com. http://www.cracow.welcome.com.pl/Prussian-Homage-at-Wawel-Castle,WidokDzialArtykulyArtykul,72,440.html. Retrieved 13 September 2011. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd (Polish) Marek Rezler, Z Matejką przez polskie dzieje: Hołd pruski. Interklasa: polski portal edukacyjny. Retrieved on 11 September 2011
  3. ^ a b c Janczyk, Agnieszka. "The Prussian Homage". Painting. Zamek Królewski na Wavelu. http://www.wawel.krakow.pl/en/index.php?op=19. Retrieved 29 August 2011. 
  4. ^ a b c Dabrowski, Patrice M. (2004). Commemorations and the shaping of modern Poland. Indiana University Press. pp. 59–79. ISBN 0253344298. http://books.google.com/books?id=ICQkdR7TZxcC&pg=PA59&dq=Prussian+Homage+painting&hl=en&ei=FvJbTsH8MYnOsgbe_oiUCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-preview-link&resnum=2&ved=0CDEQuwUwAQ#v=onepage&q=Prussian%20Homage%20painting&f=false. 
  5. ^ a b Museum, Wawel. "Temporary exhibitions (archives)". "The Prussian Homage. Matejko for Wawel – Wawel for Matejko". Wavel Krakow.pl. http://www.wawel.krakow.pl/en/index.php?op=13&arch=1. Retrieved 11 September 2011. . The Polish version of the article explains that the legislature of the question was the Sejm Krajowy, i.e. the Diet of Galicia.
  6. ^ Międzynarodowe Centrum Kultury w Krakowie (2004). International Cultural Centre Cracow. International Cultural Centre. pp. 59. http://books.google.cz/books?ei=HFBfTtetEceXOsPfjNoC&ct=result&id=9JIjAQAAIAAJ&dq=The+Prussian+Homage+painting+sukiennice&q=frame+. 
  7. ^ a b Michael Moran (15 May 2008). A Country in the Moon: Travels in Search of the Heart of Poland. Granta Books. p. 269. ISBN 978-1-84708-001-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=tq0jAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 14 September 2011. 
  8. ^ a b c Międzynarodowe Centrum Kultury w Krakowie (1 January 2004). International Cultural Centre Cracow. International Cultural Centre. http://books.google.com/books?id=9JIjAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 14 September 2011. 
  9. ^ Jerzy Ślaski (1986). Polska walcząca, 1939-1945. Instytut Wydawniczy Pax. p. 61. ISBN 978-83-211-0784-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=2QnTAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 14 September 2011. 
  10. ^ Rozpedzik, Stanislaw (30 August 2011). "Poland and Germany to look back on over 1000 years of shared history in new exhibition". Artdaily. http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=50147. Retrieved 1 September 2011. 
  11. ^ Krupski, Adelina. "Wawel Royal Castle presents exciting plans for 2008-2009". Krakow Post. http://www.krakowpost.com/article/959. Retrieved 13 September 2011. 
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Kazimierz Nowacki, Halina Blak (1987). Remek dela poljskog slikarstva XIX veka iz zbirki Narodnog muzeja u Krakovu. Beograd: Narodni muzej. pp. 28. OCLC 22946857. 
  13. ^ Jerzy Lukowski, Hubert Zawadzki (2001). A concise history of Poland. Cambridge University Press. pp. 59. ISBN 0521559170. http://books.google.cz/books?id=NpMxTvBuWHYC&pg=PA59&dq=sukiennice+fire+1555&hl=en&ei=clJfTt_pLoOdOo-etN4C&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-preview-link&resnum=3&ved=0CDUQuwUwAg#v=onepage&q=sukiennice%20fire%201555&f=false. 
Attribution

Further reading

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Paintings_by_Jan_Matejko Prussian Homage] at Wikimedia Commons