Bernard Potocki

Portrait of Stefan Potocki Another portrait from the former collection of the Potocki family, representing the Sarmatian style; it depicts a man in the ‘Polish’ costume – a zupan and a delia richly decorated with shamrocks and lined with sable fur; holding in his hand a mace, the sign of the hetman power. In the upper left corner of the painting, the Pilawa coat of arms in a cartouche, the letters and inscription STEPHANUS, and on the right, BERNARDUS POTOCKI. Painting dates back to the 17th century, partly repainted in the 19th century during an unsuccessful conservation. It was probably then that an inscription was added identifying the portrayed as Bernard Potocki of the Drzewica coat of arms – who was a royal courtier (died in 1517), wrongly included by Niesiecki in Herbarz szlachty polskiej (Armorial of the Polish Nobility) to the Pilawa family (silver Pilawa) – as a hero from Wiśniowiec, where he fought against the Tatars in 1512. This mistake was perpetuated by later heraldists, and so Bernard found himself among the Potocki family using the Pilawa coat of arms. He came from Popławy which was additionally misleading, as they are situated close to Potok, the seat of the Pilawa family. Stefan Potocki (born in 1624 – died in 1648, Pilawa coat of arms, was a starost, Polish military commander, son of Great Crown Hetman Mikołaj Potocki and Zofia née Firlej). He distinguished himself in the battle of Zhovti Vody (Khmelnytsky Uprising), during which he was seriously wounded and taken prisoner, he died in captivity. So, we can see that some paintings conceal riddles, which are sometimes very difficult to solve.