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Queen Jadwiga

Jozef Mecina-Krzesz

Basic information

ID: Ж-1613
Author: Jozef Mecina-Krzesz
Name: Queen Jadwiga
Date of creation: 1906
Country: Poland
Technique: oil painting
Material: canvas oil
Dimensions: 200 x 72 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: painting
Genre: portraiture history painting
Plot: Portrait
Provenance: Collection of Lviv City Gallery

Information about author

Author: Jozef Mecina-Krzesz
Author in the original: Józef Feliks Męcina-Krzesz
Artist's lifetime: 1860–1934
Country: Poland
Biography: Jozef Feliks Mecina-Krzesz (1860, Krakow – 1934, Poznan) was a Polish portrait painter known for his historical, religious, and genre paintings. He studied at the Krakow School of Fine Arts (with teachers W. Luszczkiewicz and J. Matejko) and at the school of Jean-Paul Laurens in Paris (1877–1886). He collaborated with the magazines "L'Illustration" and "Le Figaro Illustre". He travelled across Europe, visiting Italy, Germany, and England. In 1894, he settled in Krakow. During World War I, he lived in Prague, and from 1921, he resided in Poznan. Jozef Feliks Mecina-Krzesz was a member of the board of directors of the General Association of Polish Artists and the International Union of Fine Arts and Literature in Paris. The artist's works were displayed at Paris, Krakow, Warsaw, St. Petersburg, Vilnius, Kyiv, Prague, and Poznan exhibitions. The artist was awarded the French Legion of Honour (1931) and the Polish Gold Cross of Merit (1932).

Object description

The work is an imaginary full-length portrait of the Polish Queen Jadwiga, seated on a high throne. The backrest of the throne is carved in the shape of an eagle – the symbol of Poland. The woman is adorned with a crown from which a white veil flows down to the floor. The purple gown with a long train is embroidered with golden and silver flowers and is adorned with a golden belt. The queen's hands rest on the armrests. She gazes thoughtfully to the side, and with her right hand, she gently handles the wooden beads of a rosary with a large cross. A hand is visible at the base of the throne, holding a garland of wildflowers and ears of grain. Among the flowers, there are two golden crowns adorned with precious stones.

Inscriptions

In the bottom left corner, the artist's signature and date: "J. Męcina-Krzesz, 1906".

Portrayed person

The name of the person portrayed: Jadwiga Anjou (Jadwiga Andegaweńska) was Queen of Poland from 1384, the youngest daughter of the Hungarian King Louis the Great and Elizabeth of Bosnia, and the first wife of Wladyslaw II Jagiello (from 1386). She is a Catholic saint.
Lifetime of the person portrayed: c. 1374 – 17 July 1399

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Queen Jadwiga

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