Report on the research project concerning modern portraits of the Cracow Academy’s professors from the Jagiellonian University Museum’s collection

For two years (2005–2006) a team of employees of the Jagiellonian University Museum and the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts conducted research work on a collection of 35 modern portraits of the Cracow Academy’s professors. The research was conducted by:

Jagiellonian University historian – Professor Zdzisław Petrzyk,

Jagiellonian University Museum historian of art – Anna Jasińska, MA,

Jagiellonian University Museum restorers of works of art – Jolanta Pollesch, MA, Beata Skalmierska-Jurczys, MA,

Academy of Fine Arts chemist – Paweł Karaszkiewicz, PhD,

Consultants – prof. dr hab. Jadwiga Wyszyńska (Academy of Fine Arts), prof. dr hab. Marcin Fabiański (History of Art Institute, Jagiellonian University).

The work undertaken was to gather historical materials concerning individual portraits, an attempt at attribution and precise dating, as well as conduct a technological investigation of the paintings, thanks to which it was possible to determine the technique of the Cracovian painters’ guild.

The research conducted by the art historian made it possible to identify portraits.

It turned out that 7 of the 35 portraits covered by the research present images of persons who were not professors at the Cracow Academy, but were related to it by their activity. The authenticity of the portraits with regard to the time of their origin was confirmed, dates of  origin were more precisely defined, and in most of the cases attribution was determined. An attempt was made to define the phenomenon of an academic portrait.

The research of the historian allowed preparing individual biographical notes of each professor. Details from their life histories enabled placing the professors in a historical context and many times facilitated dating the paintings, sometimes they were also helpful at finding attributions. Historical research enabled a wider look at the cross section of society represented by the Cracow Academy’s professors.

The collection of the analysed images was divided into 11 groups. This division was made on the basis of the following: chronology, stylistics, composition and clothing type. The classification of portraits enabled looking for common features with regard to technology easier. In most cases the technological investigation confirmed the correctness of this classification.

One of the largest and most interesting discoveries made during the work was the discovery of the signature of Jan Trycjusz (? –1692), a famous Cracovian painter, on the portrait of Wojciech Dąbrowski. On the basis of this signature and after recognition of similar features in the previously isolated group, it could be said that the remaining three paintings are also by Trycjusz.

The technological investigation of the portraits attributed to this painter confirmed their attribution and at the same time the probability of the rightness of the classification.

The collection of the examined images constitutes a tight and representative group. Thanks to its homogeneity with regard to the presented persons (academicians), it was possible to track stylistic changes to which the portraits of the professors were subject over time, determine – on the basis of university functions performed by the portraitees – whose portraits were ordered, as well as track the types of academic clothing.

The portrayed persons, whose common features included: the type of job – academic teacher, the place of work – Cracow Academy, and probably one orderer – the University, the place of storing their portraits with which they have been connected from the beginning – university buildings (especially Collegium Maius), as well as their physiognomies, life style, attributes, clothing and the way of viewing the model – all of which enabled drawing the conclusion that there was a separate portrait type – an academic portrait3.

The research on the paintings allowed stating that almost all were painted in Cracow, by the painters of the Cracovian guild. Restoration and chemical examinations also prove this thesis. On this basis we can talk about a technological homogeneity of the Cracovian painters’ guild.

The collection of modern portraits of the Cracow Academy’s professors stored in the Jagiellonian University Museum is the only collection of such a type in Poland. The academies and universities which were founded later have single portraits of their professors. The preserved images of the Cracow university’s scholars and scientists prove that creating a gallery of portraits is a long-lasting tradition, which is still cultivated.

For two years (2005–2006) a team of employees of the Jagiellonian University Museum and the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts conducted research work on a collection of 35 modern portraits of the Cracow Academy’s professors. The research was conducted by:

Jagiellonian University historian – Professor Zdzisław Petrzyk,

Jagiellonian University Museum historian of art – Anna Jasińska, MA,

Jagiellonian University Museum restorers of works of art – Jolanta Pollesch, MA, Beata Skalmierska-Jurczys, MA,

Academy of Fine Arts chemist – Paweł Karaszkiewicz, PhD,

Consultants – prof. dr hab. Jadwiga Wyszyńska (Academy of Fine Arts), prof. dr hab. Marcin Fabiański (History of Art Institute, Jagiellonian University).

The work undertaken was to gather historical materials concerning individual portraits, an attempt at attribution and precise dating, as well as conduct a technological investigation of the paintings, thanks to which it was possible to determine the technique of the Cracovian painters’ guild.

The research conducted by the art historian made it possible to identify portraits.

It turned out that 7 of the 35 portraits covered by the research present images of persons who were not professors at the Cracow Academy, but were related to it by their activity. The authenticity of the portraits with regard to the time of their origin was confirmed, dates of  origin were more precisely defined, and in most of the cases attribution was determined. An attempt was made to define the phenomenon of an academic portrait.

The research of the historian allowed preparing individual biographical notes of each professor. Details from their life histories enabled placing the professors in a historical context and many times facilitated dating the paintings, sometimes they were also helpful at finding attributions. Historical research enabled a wider look at the cross section of society represented by the Cracow Academy’s professors.

The collection of the analysed images was divided into 11 groups. This division was made on the basis of the following: chronology, stylistics, composition and clothing type. The classification of portraits enabled looking for common features with regard to technology easier. In most cases the technological investigation confirmed the correctness of this classification.

One of the largest and most interesting discoveries made during the work was the discovery of the signature of Jan Trycjusz (? –1692), a famous Cracovian painter, on the portrait of Wojciech Dąbrowski. On the basis of this signature and after recognition of similar features in the previously isolated group, it could be said that the remaining three paintings are also by Trycjusz.

The technological investigation of the portraits attributed to this painter confirmed their attribution and at the same time the probability of the rightness of the classification.

The collection of the examined images constitutes a tight and representative group. Thanks to its homogeneity with regard to the presented persons (academicians), it was possible to track stylistic changes to which the portraits of the professors were subject over time, determine – on the basis of university functions performed by the portraitees – whose portraits were ordered, as well as track the types of academic clothing.

The portrayed persons, whose common features included: the type of job – academic teacher, the place of work – Cracow Academy, and probably one orderer – the University, the place of storing their portraits with which they have been connected from the beginning – university buildings (especially Collegium Maius), as well as their physiognomies, life style, attributes, clothing and the way of viewing the model – all of which enabled drawing the conclusion that there was a separate portrait type – an academic portrait3.

The research on the paintings allowed stating that almost all were painted in Cracow, by the painters of the Cracovian guild. Restoration and chemical examinations also prove this thesis. On this basis we can talk about a technological homogeneity of the Cracovian painters’ guild.

The collection of modern portraits of the Cracow Academy’s professors stored in the Jagiellonian University Museum is the only collection of such a type in Poland. The academies and universities which were founded later have single portraits of their professors. The preserved images of the Cracow university’s scholars and scientists prove that creating a gallery of portraits is a long-lasting tradition, which is still cultivated.