Portrait of Katarzyna Kossakowska

Katarzyna Kossakowska (?–1801) was a daughter of Jerzy Potocki, the head of Grabowiec and Tlumach, and Konstancja Podbereska. She was a wife of Stanislaw Kossakowski, a castellan from Kamianets. In 1784, she received the title of Countess from the Emperor of Austria. The stylistic changes of the Ukrainian portrait coincided with the changes that took place in European painting. The image is devoid of static. The work is full of emotional color and expression. Katarzyna Kossakowska is depicted in old age, which the artist did not try to hide. The features of a strong and bossy woman are reproduced in detail, namely the high forehead, piercing look, straight nose, tightly closed lips, and a strong jaw. The woman is clothed in a fashionable low-necked dress. Her hair is neatly gathered under a cap. The person portrayed holds a small dog, which was a traditional addition to the European women's ceremonial images of the 17th and 18th centuries. In the top left corner of the painting, there is an inscription: "KATARZYNA Z POTOCKICH CORKA IRZEGO STAR: TLUMACKIGO IKONS TANCUI PODBERSKI KOSSAKOWSKA KASZ TELANOWA KAMINSKA".

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery