I took a quick tour of the Czartoryski Museum on Saturday, forgetting that weekends aren’t the best time for visiting museums. The collection has a formidable 200-year history and is dear to the Polish people. It was busy with tons of visitors and guides. Old Town was also crowded, but it made for interesting people watching. In the cafés and restaurants, waiters took the brunt of it all. The upside (?) is tourists paying freely, so everyone is making money.
The primary reason I visited the Czartoryski was to see Portrait of a Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci. It’s phenomenal, and no photograph comes close to capturing its true beauty! Another popular exhibit is Parable of the Good Samaritan 1606-1669 by Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn.
The museum’s elegant entryway alone is worth a visit. It’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous! However, viewing rooms are dark and dimly lit to preserve the objects displayed.
History
As the oldest museum in Poland, Czartoryski’s interesting history is key in understanding the paintings and objects displayed. The collection was originally founded in 1801 in Puławy by Princess Izabela Czartoryska née Flemming. The Polish government purchased the Czartoryski collection in 2016 and “bestowed it to the National Museum Kraków (MNK)“. “Associated with the famous name of one of the most outstanding magnate families of ancient Poland,” the MNK Czartoryski opened in 2019.
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“The main goal of the Czartoryski Museum was preserving monuments of culture and art for future generations of Poles, especially testimonies regarding the history of Poland saved by Princess Izabela – politician, writer, and art collector. Above the entrance to one of the Museum’s two buildings, the Temple of the Sibyl, the motto – The Past of the Future – was placed.” Dzieje.pl
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The museum contains thousands of invaluable objects from Poland’s cultural heritage, including “paintings, drawings, graphics and sculptures, weapons, coins, jewelry, sarcophagi, mummies, books, manuscripts, and old prints”. It’s located in two adjoined buildings – Sibyl Temple and Gothic House.
November Uprising
A basic understanding of Polish history is essential to appreciate the art and objects displayed in the Czartoryski Museum. The November Uprising – aka as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or Cadet Revolution – was an armed rebellion against the Russian Empire in the heartland of partitioned Poland.
The rebellion “unsuccessfully tried to overthrow Russian rule in the Congress Kingdom of Poland – Polish provinces of western Russia, and parts of Lithuania, Belorussia (now Belarus), and Ukraine”. The Congress Kingdom of Poland was a “political entity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna. It was a semi-autonomous state intended to succeed Napoleon’s Warsaw Duchy.
Poland’s defeat in the November Uprising and the threat of confiscation of art objects forced the Czartoryski family to leave Puławy, dispersing their collection and moving most of it to Paris. Later, the art collection was returned to Polish territory and the Czartoryski family estate.
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“The November Uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw, when young Polish officers from the military academy of the Army of Congress Poland, led by Lieutenant Piotr Wysocki, revolted. Large segments of the peoples of Lithuania, Belarus, and Right-bank Ukraine soon joined the uprising.”
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WW II Loses
“The Czartoryski Museum suffered serious losses during World War II, when art collections were plundered by the Nazis XX Foundation. In 1945, the Museum came under the management of the Polish State, and in 1950, it became a branch of the National Museum in Krakow.”
Princess Izabela Czartoryska née Flemming
There’s ample information on the Internet regarding Princess Izabela Czartoryska née Flemming (1746-1834) and the invaluable role she played in Poland’s history. A “fascinating woman,” Princess Izabela was the founder of the collection and the Czartoryski family museum. She was the only daughter of “Jan Jerzy Flemming, the Grand Treasurer of the Crown and owner of a huge estate, and Antonina Czartoryska, the Grand Chancellor of Lithuania”. Orphaned by her mother during early childhood, Izabela was raised by her grandmother.
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“During the 1780s and 1790s, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, also known as the Republic, faced a period of significant political instability and ultimately, its demise through three partitions. This period was marked by internal weaknesses, foreign interference, and ultimately, the dismemberment of the Commonwealth by Prussia, Russia, and Austria.”
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In the 1780s and 1790s, Princess Izabela became politically involved in Poland’s deteriorating situation. She bravely demonstrated patriotism and enthusiasm for the adoption of the May 3rd Constitution.
May 3rd Constitution
“The Constitution of 3 May 1791 was a milestone, not only in the statehood of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but also in history, constitutional law, and international relations. It’s widely considered to be the first modern constitution in Europe and one of the world’s greatest documents of freedom. Adopted by the votes of the Lithuanian and Polish nobility, the 3 May Constitution is as precious to the Lithuanian and Polish people as the Magna Carta is to the British” and the US Constitution and Bill of Rights are to Americans.
Photos in this post are “generally” captioned, and several artists were unknown. I most enjoyed the portraiture and beautiful religious icons, but need to do more research to better appreciate the art and objects on display. Visiting foreign art galleries and museums is highly educational and fascinating, but sometimes a bit overwhelming and humbling, bringing to attention how unaware you are of world history. After the rushed viewing, I gravitated to a café for an espresso and sat next to a table of friendly French tourists who were sipping martinis and giggling.
