On May 21, 1674, in the electoral field in Wola, the nobility, with the votes of 3,450 electors, chose Jan Sobieski as king. In the place where today stands a monument commemorating the coronations of kings, the words “Vivat Ioannes Rex” were heard. On this day, the twenty-two-year reign of Jan III Sobieski began. It was not an easy period in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, weakened after the Khmelnytsky Uprising, the Polish-Russian War, conflicts with the Tatars and the Swedish Deluge. Before the election, Sobieski carried out a spectacular expedition against the Tatar chambulia. With the participation of 3 thousand driving achieved 44,000 prisoners from jasyr. On November 11, 1673, he won a great victory in the Battle of Chocim. No wonder he was the clear favorite.
Jan Matejko painted “Jan Sobieski near Vienna” for less than a year. “The zeal was feverish.”
Sobieski’s great fame came less than 10 years after his election as king. On September 12, 1683, in the great battle of Vienna, the army he commanded defeated the Turks, 15,000 of whom died in the fighting. It was this moment that was immortalized by Jan Matejko in “Jan Sobieski in Vienna”. The painter started working on it in 1879. The beginning were the first drawings and an oil sketch. The final version was created in 1882–1883. Matejko wanted to complete the work at all costs before the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Vienna.
He had never painted a picture with such determination before, he put his whole soul into it, so to speak; the artist’s enthusiasm for his work was feverish and extraordinary
– Marian Gorzkowski, writer and painter’s confidant.
He made his last brushstroke on August 22, 1883. On September 12, 1883, on the 200th anniversary of the victory at Vienna, Matejko’s work was exhibited in Vienna. It was not a coincidence, the painter wanted to remind us that without the participation of the Polish king and the Polish army, there would be no triumph. A few months later, a special delegation headed by Matejko presented the painting to Pope Leo XIII as a gift “from the Polish nation”. Not everyone was happy with this turn of events, as it was believed that a painting of such importance should remain on the Vistula River and not be “hidden in the attics of the Vatican”. To this day, “John III Sobieski in Vienna” is in the Vatican Museum.
What does the painting “Sobieski in Vienna” depict? One key figure was missing
The painting shows Jan III Sobieski sitting on a horse, handing Canon Jan Kazimierz Denhoff, emissary of Pope Innocent XI, a letter with the news about the defeat of the Turks near Vienna. In the crowd surrounding the king and the canon, you can see Jakub Sobieski, the king’s eldest son, Prince Charles of Lorraine, and the Capuchin Marco d’Aviano. On the left side you can see, among others: Gen. Marcin Kącki, field hetman Mikołaj Hieronim Sieniawski, crown hetman Stanisław Jabłonowski, Atanazy Miączyński and crown equerry Marek Matczyński.
Andrzej Pruszynski, Explanation of the painting ‘John III Sobieski at Vienna’ National Museum in Kraków, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
However, what was missing was Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki, a soldier of Sobieski, who volunteered in the guise of an Ottoman soldier to get through the enemy camp, sneak into Vienna and deliver the message to Charles V Leopold. Then, confirming his readiness for relief, he returned to the camp, contributing to the victory of John III Sobieski.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
