Janina Skorupska-Szarlej

History of the portraits of the Galician Sejm Marshalls in the collection of the National Museum in Cracow

The Galician Sejm was the supreme local government assembly for Galicia during its autonomy. The Galician Sejm was based in Lviv where, in between 1878 and 1881, its representative premises were built. Following the example of other supreme institutions of the times, Department of Sejm, the administrative and executive arm of the Galician Sejm, commissioned portraits of Marshalls from the most prominent Polish artists: Rodakowski, Matejko, Siemiradzki, and Pochwalski. All Marshalls were depinted apart from the last two, Adam Gołuchowski and Stanisław Niezabitowski, whose portraits were not commissioned in time. The portraits represented not only a collection of fine pieces of art but also a historical testimony of Galicia and its achievements. At times the portaits were a source of admiration and, at others, of waspish remarks. Unfortunately, they shared the fate of heroic Lviv during the First World War and the Polish-Soviet War. With the aim to save the collection, Marshall Niezabitowski sent the portraits to the National Museum in Cracow in 1916. After signing the Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the paintings were returned to Lviv, where the war against Bolsheviks was still raging. The Parliament building was seized and the paintings were damaged. At the end of 1918, the collection was sent to the National Museum in Cracow for the second time. At first, they were considered a deposit but later on they became the property of the Museum. For more than 80 years the collection has been the glory of The Gallery of 19th-century Polish Art at Sukiennice.

Przekład: Kinga Kuchta

The Niedzielski family of Śledziejowice – A collection of art and artefacts

In Śledziejowice, near Wieliczka, the Niedzielski family gathered over the years a valuable collection of old coins, paintings, graphics, artefacts, fabrics, and national memorabilia. The collection was kept in the manor house, where the family had lived since 1830. Many of these items came to be in Śledziejowice by way of collecting activity, others came as dowries, some were purchased and others were donated by various benefactors. Their stories are interesting, although we do not know about all of them.
The Niedzielskis were wealthy, intelligent and very sociable, which meant that many prominent artists, such as Artur Grottger and Andrzej Grabowski were often guests in Śledziejowice. Their paintings, bearing occasional dedications, decorated the walls of the hospitable manor. There were family portraits on the walls and, next to them, old patriotic and historical scenes, as well as landscapes. In addition to the paintings, there were antique pieces of furniture, magnificent fabrics and valuable decorative items. As often happens in noble houses, weapons, original hussar armour from the 2nd half of the 17th century and (kontusz) sashes were hanging on the walls as a symbolic reminder of the family’s noble origins. There were also souvenirs from trips around Europe, such as items from archaeological excavations and priceless manuscripts acquired in France. Unfortunately, the economic changes from the turn of the century, the destruction caused by the First World War and the subsequent economic crisis, caused the economic and financial situation of the Niedzielski family to deteriorate considerably. From the end of the 19th century onwards, they were forced to sell the most valuable of the collected treasures. In the interwar period, pieces from the collection were transferred or sold to various museums and institutions, where they are still kept today. It is thanks to this that we still know about them. Translated by Kinga N. Kuchta