Saint Hedwig of Silesia Reconciles Konrad of Masovia with Her Husband Henry the Bearded

Aleksander Lesser

Basic information

ID: Ж-1791
Author: Aleksander Lesser
Name: Saint Hedwig of Silesia Reconciles Konrad of Masovia with Her Husband Henry the Bearded
Date of creation: 1848–1850
Country: Poland
Technique: oil painting
Material: canvas oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm): 116 x 87

Additionally

Type: painting
Genre: history painting
Plot: Saint Hedwig of Silesia
Provenance: Collection of Lviv City Gallery

Information about author

Author: Aleksander Lesser
Artist's lifetime: 1814–1884
Country: Poland
Biography: Aleksander Lesser (May 13, 1814, Warsaw – March 7, 1884, Krakow) was a Polish painter, illustrator, and art historian of Jewish descent, a member of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, and a co-founder of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts (1860). He specialised in paintings with historical and religious themes. He was one of the first artists to depict scenes from the history of Polish Jews. Lesser came from a family of wealthy merchants and bankers from Warsaw, who, in the mid-19th century, belonged to the Jewish bourgeoisie and intelligentsia and advocated for integration into Polish society. The artist began his study of painting at the Warsaw Lyceum under the guidance of A. Kokular and continued at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Royal University of Warsaw (1830–1831) under the supervision of A. Brodowski, a Polish Romantic artist. He enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden (1832–1835), where he studied under M. Retzsch and C. C. Vogel. From 1836 to 1846, he studied in Munich with P. Cornelius and H. Hesse, both well-known representatives of German Romanticism. The works he created were based on research into Polish history. Among his most famous paintings are "The Defense of Terebovlia" (1841) and "The Funeral of Five Fallen in Warsaw in 1861" (1861). He was appointed a member of the Krakow Academy of Sciences for his 40 portraits of Polish kings illustrating "Wizerunki królów polskich" (1860). He was also the author of several critical articles and historical essays published in Polish journals. After he died in 1884 in Krakow, the artist was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Warsaw. Today, his works are housed in the National Museums of Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, and Lviv.

Object description

The artist's deep interest in Poland's past resulted in numerous paintings where he recreated significant events in Polish history with exceptional knowledge and accuracy. One of these events, which took place in Plock in 1229, was depicted by the artist in the work "Saint Hedwig of Silesia Reconciles Konrad of Masovia with Her Husband Henry the Bearded". The painting is a vivid example of academic painting. The subject matter of the work concerns the dispute between Duke Henry of Wroclaw and Duke Konrad of Masovia over the supremacy of the Duchy of Krakow in 1229. Wishing for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and the release of her husband Henry, who Konrad had captured, Hedwig travels to Plock, where, after promising to marry off two of her daughters to Konrad's sons, she negotiates a peace agreement. This is the moment depicted in the painting. The scene occurs in a Gothic hall with two tall windows and a bear skin on the floor. The main characters are positioned at the centre of the composition. On the left, Henry the Bearded sits in a carved wooden chair, dressed in violet attire with his right arm bandaged. On the right, Konrad of Masovia stands leaning on a sword dressed in chainmail and an embroidered surcoat. Warriors can be seen behind him in the darkness of the doorway. The princes extend their hands to each other as a sign of truce. Between them stands Hedwig of Silesia, holding a cross in her left hand, wearing a princely fur hat over a blue veil. With her right hand, she points to the monk reading the terms of the agreement while looking anxiously at Konrad, fearing that he might change his mind.

Inscriptions

On the reverse of the stretcher, there is an inscription: "Lesser Aleksander".

Portrayed person

The name of the person portrayed: Hedwig of Silesia (Hedwig of Andechs) (c. 1174–1243) was a Polish saint, princess, and the wife of Henry I the Bearded. Founder of the Cistercian Monastery in Trzebnica. Patroness of orphans, spouses, and Christian families.
Lifetime of the person portrayed: c. 1174–1243

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Saint Hedwig of Silesia Reconciles Konrad of Masovia with Her Husband Henry the Bearded

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