Jan Matejko: Stańczyk (1862)

 

(Warsaw National Museum, Warsaw, Poland)

A painting by the Polish artist Jan Matejko (1838-1893). This piece shows Stańczyk (1480–1560), a Polish court jester who was employed by three Polish kings: Alexander, Sigismund the Old and Sigismund Augustus. The primary composition of the painting is in the contrast between the solemn Stańczy in the foreground and the lively ball going on in the background. While the court is celebrating the recent victory at the Battle of Orsha (8 September 1514), they are disregarding the bad news about Smolensk. Stańczyk himself is the only person at a royal ball who is troubled by the news that the Muscovites have captured Smolensk in 1514 (Smolensk was part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth). Painting from 1862.