Philosopher on the throne Stanisław August’s predilection for Netherlandish art in the context of his self-fashioning as an Enlightened monarch Magdalena Grądzka Philosopher on the throne Magdalena Grądzka Philosopher on the throne Stanisław August’s predilection for Netherlandish art in the context of his self-fashioning as an Enlightened monarch Magdalena Grądzka 3930424 March 2018 Master Thesis Art History of the Low Countries in its European Context University of Utrecht Prof. dr. M.A. Weststeijn Prof. dr. E. Manikowska 1 Philosopher on the throne Magdalena Grądzka Index Introduction p. 4 Historiography and research motivation p. 4 Theoretical framework p. 12 Research question p. 15 Chapters summary and methodology p. 15 1. The collection of Stanisław August 1.1. Introduction p. 18 1.1.1. Catalogues p. 19 1.1.2. Residences p. 22 1.2. Netherlandish painting in the collection in general p. 26 1.2.1. General remarks p. 26 1.2.2. Genres p. 28 1.2.3. Netherlandish painting in the collection per stylistic schools p. 30 1.2.3.1. The circle of Rubens and Van Dyck p. 30 1.2.3.2. The circle of Rembrandt p. 33 1.2.3.3. Italianate landscapists p. 41 1.2.3.4. Fijnschilders p. 44 1.2.3.5. Other Netherlandish artists p. 47 1.3. Other painting schools in the collection p. 52 1.3.1. Paintings by court painters in Warsaw p. 52 1.3.2. Italian paintings p. 53 1.3.3. French paintings p. 54 1.3.4. German paintings p. 54 1.4. Netherlandish paintings versus the rest of the collection and a summary p. 56 2. Stanisław August and the formation of his collection 2.1. Introduction p. 59 2.2. The personality of Stanisław August p. 60 2.2.1. Early education and political career before 1764 p. 60 2.2.2. Stanisław August as a king versus the political situation of the country p. 62 2.2.3. The cultural achievements and the artistic patronage of Stanisław August p. 64 2.3. The formation of the collection of Netherlandish paintings p. 68 2.3.1. The collecting tradition in Poland before the reign of Stanisław August p. 68 2.3.2. The manner of acquisition of Netherlandish paintings by Stanisław August p. 70 2.3.3. The acquisitions by Noel Desenfans p. 78 2.4. Concluding remarks p. 82 2 Philosopher on the throne Magdalena Grądzka 3. Netherlandish paintings in the eighteenth-century European collection 3.1. Introduction p. 83 3.2. Dresden, August II and August III p. 85 3.3. Saint Petersburg and Catherine the Great p. 90 3.4. Concluding remarks p. 95 4. The reception of Netherlandish painting in Poland 4.1. Introduction p. 97 4.2. The king’s appreciation of Dutch and Flemish painting p. 98 4.2.1. Diaries p. 98 4.2.2. Correspondence p. 102 4.2.3. Other writings p. 104 4.2.4. Commissions p. 106 4.2.5. The collections of drawings and engravings of Stanisław August p. 108 4.3. The reception of Netherlandish art of the contemporaries of Stanisław August p. 111 4.3.1. Marcello Bacciarelli p. 111 4.3.2. August Moszyński p. 117 4.3.3. Ignacy Krasicki p. 120 4.3.4. Julian Niemcewicz p. 125 4.3.5. Stanisław Kostka Potocki p. 128 4.3.6. Jean-Pierre Norblin de La Gourdaine p. 133 4.4. Comments by foreigners on Netherlandish painting in Poland p. 136 4.4.1. Fortia de Piles and Boisgelin de Kerdu p. 136 4.4.2. Johann Bernoulli p. 138 4.4.3. Concluding remarks and a summary p. 141 Conclusion p. 145 Bibliography p. 152 Appendix I Illustrations p. 160 List of illustrations with sources p. 220 Appendix II Table 1 – The 1795 catalogue p. 232 Table 2 – Dutch/Flemish/Netherlandish/Uncertain classification p. 255 Table 3 – Genres p. 256 Table 4 – Identified paintings p. 258 Table 5 – Desenfans’ catalogue p. 265 3 Philosopher on the throne Magdalena Grądzka Introduction The majority of artistic life of eighteenth-century Europe can be said to have been oriented towards France and Italy. This trend could also be observed in the Polish- Lithuanian Commonwealth, foremost in the interests of the last Polish king, Stanisław II August (1732-1798, born as Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski).1 In his court he employed both Italian painters, such as Marcello Bacciarelli (1731-1818) and Bernardo Belotto (1720-1780), and French painters, such as Louis Marteau (c. 1715- 1804). Moreover, he gave commissions to French artists, such as Carle van Loo (1705-1765) and Joseph Marie Vien (1716-1809).2 Yet, extant records in his art collection reflect a more varied interest on the part of the king, who seems to have especially enjoyed the works and styles of Netherlandish artists. Because Stanisław August was an elected king, he did not inherit any goods after his Saxon predecessors, August II (1670-1733) and his son August III (1696- 1763).3 The works of art which they had gathered, were considered private properties and transported to Dresden at the end of their reigns. Consequently, when Stanisław August became a king in 1764, he had to form his own collection anew. He must have been very successful, since in 1795, at the end of his reign, he possessed more than 2000 paintings, not to mention numerous miniatures, drawings, prints, sculptures and other art objects. This thesis will focus on Poniatowski’s collection of Netherlandish paintings. It will investigate to what extent Stanisław August’s predilection for Netherlandish painting can be seen as exceptional and whether the concept of a king’s self-fashioning as an Enlightened monarch can be considered a relevant factor explaining this predilection. Already for several centuries collections of art (amongst other objects) had come to be seen as a representation of the wealth, power and even intelligence of its possessor, and a collection was often used as a tool by Europeans to “fashion” one’s reputation or status. Stanisław August’s art collecting and display activity will thus be studied through the context of his early life, political and personal projects as well as his social ties, to understand the role of art in his court. This is especially of interest with regard to works from the Low Countries, which made up a significant part of the collection. Historiography and research motivation Dated 1795, the last royal inventory of paintings lists 2478 objects, of which approximately 347 paintings are currently identified (338 in Polish and foreign museums and the rest most likely in private possession).4 This inventory was 1 H. Gerson, ‘Dispersal and After-Effect of Dutch Painting of the 17th Century: Danzig and Poland’, in: Gerson Digital: Part I – Poland, RKD Monographs, The Hague 2013 (trans. H.J. Horn), unpaged. 2 Gerson 2013, unpaged. 3 D. Juszczak, H. Małachowicz, Galeria obrazów Stanisława Augusta w Łazienkach Królewskich. Katalog, Warszawa 2015, p. 10. 4 H. Małachowicz, ‘Galeria obrazów Stanisława Augusta’, in: A. Sołtys (ed.), Stanisław August – ostatni król Polski: polityk, mecenas, reformator: 1764-1795, exh. cat. Warszawa (Zamek Królewski) 2011, p. 225. At the present day the number of identified paintings from the collection of Stanisław 4 Philosopher on the throne Magdalena Grądzka published in 1932 by a Polish art historian, Tadeusz Mańkowski (1878-1956), in his Galerja Stanisława Augusta.5 Besides the paintings’ catalogue, the book encloses the Catalogue des Miniatures, Peintures à l’Huile en Petit, en Camayeux, à Gouache, en Biscuits, Basreliefs, Cire, Decoupures, Cuivre Doré, Desseins, et Estampes Encadrés 1795 [Catalogue of the Miniatures, Oil Paintings in Miniature, in Monochrome, in Gouache, in Biscuits, Bas-Reliefs, Wax, Fretwork, Gilded Copper, Designs, and Framed Prints 1795] as well as Mańkowski’s essays dealing with, among other topics, the artistic youth of Stanisław August, his cultural mission and relation to the art of painting as well as the formation of his painting gallery and its content. One of the reasons why Mańkowski’s work is so fundamental for further research is the fact that many sources he used were lost during the Second World War and are now no longer accessible. In addition, Mańkowski wrote an important article in 1929, which he devoted to the paintings of Rembrandt from Poniatowski’s collection.6 After the Second World War, it was not until the nineties that the research on the painting collection of Stanisław August was revived and continued. In 1992, an exhibition titled Collection for A King: Old Master Painting from the Dulwich Picture Gallery, curated by the late Giles Waterfield, was held in the Dulwich Picture Gallery in collaboration with the curators of the Royal Castle in Warsaw (currently a museum, formerly the king’s official residence).7 Further important publications include an article written in 1996 by Antoni Ziemba, who dealt with Stanisław August’s admiration for Dutch painting and investigated its role within the royal collection, analysing the amounts, prices, and historical attributions.8 In a 1998 article, Mieczysław Choynowski described the history of Poniatowski’s Picture Gallery, which was a place meant for the exhibition of paintings in the Palace on the Isle (now a museum, but formerly the king’s summer residence).9 In 2007 Ewa Manikowska dealt with the royal collection, presenting the king’s collecting activities in the perspective of eighteenth-century royal court culture which she argued to be the most important August has been certainly amplified. Hanna Małachowicz and Dorota Juszczak are working on a new catalogue comprising all identified paintings from the collection of Stanisław August and it will be published within three years.