The collections of the museum at Wilanów include numerous objects that are exceptional due to their artistic value and superb craftsmanship. Some of the exhibits have moving, sometimes touching stories attached to them. Together, they create a unique microcosm of history and art that makes up the Wilanów genius loci – the spirit of the place. One of such works of art is the painted lid of a virginal owned – as legend has it – by the beloved wife of King Jan III – Marysieńka, i.e. Queen Maria Kazimiera.
The story of love in the Wilanów collection
This work was purchased for his collection by Stanisław Kostka Potocki, intrigued by its history, who, together with his wife Aleksandra, opened the first museum of art in Poland in Wilanów in 1805. He immortalised the legend of the painting's origin on a piece of paper stuck to its reverse. He wrote there: "Parnassus with a Polish landscape surrounded by arabesques, a wooden board, which was the lid of the clavichord given to King Jan’s wife by the wife of Emperor Leopold, as the previous inscription said. It seems that the gift was given just before the King's departure to liberate Vienna, because the inscription included a wish that the Queen might use it to sweeten the absence of her beloved Knight using her rare musical talent, and then accompany the songs welcoming his triumphant return."
Reading the note, we learn about the love of the royal couple, about how much the founders of the museum cared for mementoes of the heroic King Jan III, and about the famous victory – the Relief of Vienna in 1683. Additionally, we can picture ways of spending time on a royal court, where people were surrounded beauty, music and literature on a daily basis.
Minerva among the Muses
It is worth taking a closer look at this work of art. The composition painted on the board is full of content, and the main theme is the allegory of music. In the centre is a scene showing Minerva, the Roman goddess of arts, crafts, wisdom, science and literature. It is surrounded by Muses, each holding a musical instrument – her attribute. In front of them, in a clearing, sheets of music together with string, wind and percussion instruments are strewn around in a picturesque disorder. They are depicted so carefully that they are a valuable source of knowledge for connoisseurs of the history of music. The main scene is framed with miniature illustrations of the myths about the messenger of the gods Mercury (Hermes) and Apollo, the god of music, poetry and art.
Antique inspirations of a unique decoration
The main theme of the painting is competition in the field of music. Around the main stage, there are systems of ribbon-tracery and grotesque ornaments, as well as representations of animals and mythical creatures. The artist (or perhaps the artists, since individual parts of the painting show stylistic differences) took the predominant themes from Ovid's Metamorphoses. A deeper interpretation can be found in Dutch treatises devoted to views on the role and meaning of music as one of the arts (e.g. in the writings of John Tinctoris, 1435 or 1436 – 1511).
Another important idea that integrates the composition, derived from the ancient aesthetics of music preached by epicureans and sceptics, is naturalis delectatio, i.e. happiness and joy that music brings.
Formerly the picture was considered to be a cover of a clavichord, but this has been questioned. Although there are faint traces of hinges on the back, comparative materials show that the instrument was indeed a virginal.
The Wilanów collection in a nutshell
The lid of the virginal is one of the historical objects that were first presented to the public at the Wilanów Palace by the founders of the local museum. It is an important sobiescianum – according to legend, it is connected with King Jan III, who had the residence built, and his wife, Queen Maria Kazimiera. In this way, Minerva among the Muses connects some of the most important exhibits of the Wilanów collection, encouraging people to learn about the history of other works of art collected in it.
The project “www.muzeach” is co-financed from European Funds and from the funds of the Ministry of Culture and National of the Republic of Poland. The project is implemented under the Operational Programme Digital Poland for the years 2014-2020, Priority Axis 2 “E-government and open government,” Action 2.3 “Digital availability and usefulness of public sector information,” Sub-action 2.3.2 “Digital availability of culture resources.”
