Old masterpieces acquired for Polish museum collections
“Among activities pursued by the Polish foreign service there is one which brings exceptionally beautiful and valuable results. It involves acquiring works of art, which are then donated to museums across the country,” said Minister Jacek Czaputowicz at the hand-over ceremony at the MFA headquarters.
“It is thanks to the efforts of MFA staff, but most of all, the generosity and good will of the donors that I am able to hand over today three extremely important works that are closely connected with Poland’s history,” added the minister.
The acquired works of art include: an oil portrait of Queen Marie Louise Gonzaga de Nevers (1611-1667), wife of two successive Polish kings: Władysław IV in 1646-1648 and John Casimir from 1649, modelled after a painting (1646) attributed to Justus van Egmont, and a 19th century silver-plated samovar manufactured by Norblin Platter Works in Warsaw. The two gifts were donated by Dr Edward T. Wilson, a US citizen. The first one will become part of the collection of the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów, the other will go to the National Museum in Warsaw. The third gift comprises eight volumes of Louis-Pierre Anquetil’s Œuvres Historiques (1791-1793). The book was part of the Łańcut Palace library, which in 1944 was shipped out by the last entailer, Alfred Potocki, and became dispersed. The books were purchased by the Bloch Family Foundation, which has greatly contributed to a number of museums and libraries in Poland. They will be given to the library of the Castle Museum in Łańcut.
In the past 15 years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instrumental in acquiring almost a thousand works of art: gifts, including paintings (among others by J. Brandt, J. Kossak, S. I. Witkacy, J. Czapski, B. Czedekowski), books and documents (e.g. a collection of over 800 occasional prints from 1913-1924), and memorabilia and legacies of distinguished Poles (among others that of the Szembek family, Gen. K. Sochański, Maj. J. Trenkwald and Col. Wł. Belina-Prażmowski).
Poland.pl
16.03.2018
Other articles in this section
Light.Move.Festival
A city bathed in light – this is what Lodz looks like during the annual Light.Move.Festival. Every autumn the city’s historic tenements light up with colourful illuminations. Building façades become the stage for 2D and 3D mappings as well as animations that last for several minutes. The light shows are accompanied by concerts and workshops.
Polish Oscar winners and nominees
Polish cinematography has a long history and many remarkable achievements, which is reflected in the long list of nominations and awards won by Polish directors, cinematographers, composers, screenwriters, animators and other cinematographic professionals.
Poles honoured at the Opera Awards 2019
Dąbrowski and Warlikowski are among the laureates of the International Opera Awards, opera’s answer to the Oscars, announced at a gala event at Sadler’s Wells on 29 April.
Bracha – Blessing. Back to Polish Shtetls
On 28th January 2019 at the United Nations headquarters in New York, The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York in cooperation with the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations presented a photographic exhibition by Agnieszka Traczewska's "Bracha – Blessing Back to Polish Shtetls." The event was a part of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Wyspiański is back in town
Stanisław Wyspiański – one of the most versatile Polish artists – associated his professional and private life with Krakow. Under Austro-Hungarian rule at the time, the city inspired him with its rich past and symbolism, but also with the challenges it faced. This led him to create his own vision of the capital of Galicia which he in part managed to portray. In his honour, the National Museum in Krakow is presenting the largest ever exhibition of his works, encapsulating this extraordinary relationship between his genius and the city he called his own.