Silva Rerum | 17.02.2017 The fragments of artistic decorations of the parade carriages of King Jan III and his closest family were presented for the first time as a collection during the exhibition titled “Royal carriages of King Jan III Sobieski”, which ran from the 12th of September 2003 until the 31st of January 2004 at the Wilanów Palace Orangery. The monuments survived as decorations of a church in a small village of Radacz near Słupsk in Central Pomerania, and they may be regarded as a historical document, confirming the symbolic and geopolitical position of Poland. Currently, they all belong to the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów and are considered to be special remnants of the old royal carriages.
Time made it possible to study the decorations, group the woodwork and paintwork and connect them to three vehicles, estimate their chronology and places of origin, as well – what is important – name some of the creators. One of the carriages carries signatures of French craftsmen and artists, who most probably built it in Paris. On another carriage, a date can be found: 24 January 1692. The whole paintwork may have been created in Wilanów’s paint shop.
Extensive comparative studies led to the reconstruction and dimensioning of the vehicles, with coach boxes being especially precise. The reconstructed vehicles serve as frames for the fragments of decorations, currently placed in their original positions. The art history studies were complemented by in-depth analyses of the design of similar carriages in Lisbon, corrected in 1:1 scale – without this, preparing this exhibition would be impossible. The reconstruction of the boxes allowed for undertaking conservation and restoration works, aimed at not only preserving the historic substance, but also precise and clear restoration of the defects in woodwork and paintwork in a way that would return them to their former aesthetic, full of colour and splendour, yet subject to the conceptual design of the decorations.
Fragments of introduction by Paweł Jaskanis, director of Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów, to the catalogue “Royal carriages of Jan III Sobieski”, Warsaw 2004.
After the death of King Jan III in 1696, the royal carriages were most probably given to his son, Jakub Ludwik Sobieski, as a part of his inheritance. Thanks to him, they were brought to Oława near Wrocław, where the young prince lived together with his wife, Hedwig Elisabeth Amelia of Neuburg. The carriages remained there until the first Silesian War between Prussia and Austria, during which in 1741 they were taken as spoils of war by Prussian Field Marshal Henning Aleksander von Kleist, who moved them to his family property in Pomerania. In Radacz (German: Raddatz), the decorative parts of the carriages were used to build a pulpit in a newly constructed Protestant chapel. Fragments of the vehicles survived in the church until World War II, and despite the legends surrounding the pulpit, claiming that it was King Jan III’s triumphant chariot, it was not the object of research interest before 1945. After World War II, the pulpit was brought to the National Museum in Warsaw, due to the damage sustained by the church in Radacz during war time. It was only in the 1980s that the object was interpreted as the remains of King Jan’s carriages. In 1983, the remains were returned to the Wilanów Palace, and in 2003 works started on partial reconstruction of their former shape.
THE “TRIUMPHAL” CARRIAGE OF KING JAN III
Poland, ca. 1692
Construction similar to French four passenger carriages with leaf spring suspension from the 3rd quarter of the 17th century. Made of walnut, with sculpted, gilt and painted coach box surface. 24 decorative elements from this carriage survived to this day.
Front of the carriage
Only four sculpted and gilt elements from the front side of the carriage were preserved: a fragment of a richly sculpted crowning cornice, two strips with sculpted heads of female herms, which served as mounting points for flower garlands and one putto from the right-hand corner.
Left side of the carriage
The decorations of the left side of the carriage comprise two fragments of a crowning cornice, two window strips with herms, small pieces of a strip from the frame of a door window, and one small fragment of a garland from the corner. Sculptures of putti from upper parts of the corners preserved fragments of garlands and parts of the mascarons on which they rested their feet. From the carriage's door, only a fragment of painting decorations with panoplies, some sculpted decorations and a painting with Hercules fighting the Hydra with many heads were preserved. The theme was drawn from the myth of Hercules helping his friend Iolaus, and serves as an allegory of the victory of the Polish king against the Turks. Hercules depicts King Jan III, who was called to help the Austrians besieged in Vienna, presented in the moment where he deals the decisive blow, setting the outcome of the fight against their common enemy. This scene was also depicted on a medal commemorating the 1683 victory in the Battle of Vienna.
The fragment of the carriage door was used as a front cartouche in the decoration of the “Radacz pulpit”. The depiction of Hercules was partially painted over and replaced with a coat of arms of von Kleist family. The original painting was uncovered in 2006 in the painting restoration workshop of the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów.
The decorative panels placed under the windows of the “triumphal” carriage on the both sides of the door present: on the left side, putti holding a cartouche with the coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, on the right side, the coat of arms of the Sobieski family and compositions made up of war trophies: shields, banners, pieces of armour.
Back side of the carriage
No fragments, which could be assigned or connected with the design or decoration of this part of the carriage box, survived to this day.
Right side of the carriage
The decorations of the right side of the carriage comprise two fragments of a sculpted strip from the frame of the door window, and a single fragment of a frame of a door painting, which did not survive. Sculpture of a putto from upper part of the back corner of the box preserved a fragment of a garland and a part of the mascaron’s head on which its feet were rested. The only part of the carriage door preserved to date is its lower part with a painting of panoplies.
The decorative panels placed under the windows of the presented carriage on the both sides of the door present: on the left side putti holding the coat of arms of the Sobieski family, on the right side a cartouche with the coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and compositions made up of war trophies: shields, banners, pieces of armour.
THE CARRIAGE OF KING JAN III
Poland, ca. 1692
Construction similar to French four passenger carriage with leaf spring suspension from the 3rd quarter of the 17th century. Made of walnut, with sculpted, gilt and painted coach box surface. The authorship of the painting compositions is attributed to Jerzy Eleuter Szymonowicz-Siemiginowski and his workshop.
25 decorative elements from this carriage survived to this day.
Front of the carriage
The decorations of this part of the carriage consist of two fragments of sculpted strips and one fragment of a front wall covered with a painting. It was especially significant in the conceptual design of the entire decoration, since its content glorified the position of the monarch. Thanks to the analogies with identical carriage used by Marie Casimire, we can guess the design of the remaining part of the composition with great probability. Against the background, depicting fantastic architecture we can see Minerva – the goddess of wisdom, science and art, with her attributes: an owl, a globe and compasses. The figure on the right-hand side depicts Clio – the Muse of history or Calliope – the Muse of epic poetry, philosophy and rhetoric. The central field was filled with a composition presenting – most probably – Apollo in a carriage pulled by four horses, symbolising the life-giving Sun and the monarch at the same time.
Right side of the carriage
The remaining decorations of this part of the carriage comprise two fragments of a crowning cornice, four pieces of strips surrounding windows and the lower part of a door with a painting, which is the first depiction referring to the dynastic plans of King Jan III, designating his sons as the heirs to the Polish throne.
In the background of this painting, we see symbolic architecture with the royal crown – the symbol of the Commonwealth and its knightly fame, often seen on other carriages. The eagle between two women in antique clothing refers to the Capitoline Triad, a depiction of protective gods of mythic Rome. Jupiter (the supreme ruler of Earth and the sky) in the form of an eagle soars over Juno (goddess of maternity), who gives a baby hero to Minerva (patron of arts and science, equated to Athena – the goddess of justified war). The latter takes the child to the golden shield with Janina, the coat of arms of Sobieski family. This scene allows us to easily read the intention of its creator. King Jan III is the ruler of the land, and Juno holds his son in such a way so that there is a crown above his head – this is the future king. The figure of Minerva depicts Marie Casimire, portrayed in the same clothes and holding a child in the same position, as on the painting by J.E. Szymonowicz-Siemiginowski found in the Queen’s Antechamber at the Wilanów Palace.
On the side paintings, we find cartouches with the royal crown and monograms of King Jan III Sobieski – JRP [Johannes Rex Poloniarum]. Putti playing a flute, viola da gamba, harp and a triangle announce the coming reign of harmony.
Back side of the carriage
Only two sculpted and gilt strips were preserved to this day.
Left side of the carriage
Among the decorations attributed to this side of the carriage is a single fragment of a crowning cornice, as well as four fragments of strips surrounding windows, paintings on the walls and the door. The paintings follow the theme presented on the door on the other side of the carriage. The scene in the middle refers to the dynastic plans of King Jan III, who saw his sons as contenders for the Polish throne.
Against the background presenting symbolic architecture with a royal crown (symbol of the Commonwealth), we can see another scene. Jupiter in the form of an eagle sits between Minerva and two young men in Roman armour. Marie Casimire as Minerva hands the hero in the red coat – the heir to the throne – the Sobieski shield, with a clear message to continue the family tradition. In this scene, the author of the composition places the Sobieski shield under the royal crown, as a coat of arms of the royal family. The two young men are princes Konstanty and Aleksander Sobieski.
On the side paintings, we find cartouches with the royal crown and monograms of King Jan III Sobieski – JRP [Johannes Rex Poloniarum]. Putti playing a flute, viola da gamba, harp and triangle announce the coming reign of harmony.
THE CARRIAGE OF QUEEN MARIE CASIMIRE
France, ca. 1692
A French four-passenger carriage with leaf spring suspension from the 3rd quarter of the 17th century. Made of walnut, with sculpted, gilt and painted coach box surface.
Inscriptions on the interior side of the carriage parts:
“Meron a Renne ..., Jean Baptiste Couston, Boudin, Bigon”.
22 decorative elements from this carriage survived to this day.
Front of the carriage
Only one element of the sculpted and gilt cornice, one corner ornament and two fragments of a painting on the front wall of the box survived to this day.
The composition of the scene presented on the wall was similar to the painting on the front wall of the king’s carriage. The figures of Minerva and Clio (or Calliope) were depicted in the same poses and against the same background. At their feet, there are putti playing with their attributes. The putto next to Minerva blows a tuba, praising the victory, the putto next to the muse plays with jewels taken out of an open box. Next to them lies a dog, which symbolises loyalty. In the central part of the composition we see two young eagles, holding up what seems to be a cartouche with a crown.
Right side of the carriage
Only one fragment of a sculpted, gilt cornice, the lower part of the door and two fragments of paintings on the side of the carriage survived to this day.
The right fragment depicts Minerva in a diadem, holding a sceptre or a spear. On the left side, we see a putto blowing a tuba, proclaiming fame. The central point of the composition is a cartouche with a crown, held up by two eagles symbolising princes Konstanty and Aleksander. On the cartouche, we can see the monogram of Queen Marie Casimire. The queen – depicted here as Minerva – supports the crown with her left hand.
The side paintings show compositions similar to the ones found on King Jan III’s carriage.
Back side of the carriage
Only one element of the sculpted and gilt cornice, one corner ornament and two fragments of a painting on the back wall of the box survived to this day. The painting is identical to the scene presented on the front wall.
Left side of the carriage
One fragment of a sculpted and gilt cornice, ornaments from two corners, six fragments of a strip surrounding a window, lower part of the door and two fragments of side paintings on the walls of the carriage survived to this day.
The painting on the door is in most part very similar to the paintings on the king’s carriage doors, with identical backgrounds and the position of Minerva, sitting on the right-hand side. On the left side, we see a putto blowing a tuba, proclaiming fame. Two eagles, symbolising princes Konstanty and Aleksander hold up a cartouche with a monogram of Marie Casimire. The queen supports the crown with her left hand. Side paintings depict putti playing instruments under cartouches, symbolically announcing the reign full of abundance and harmony.