Klemens Branicki

Portrait painting from the museum’s collection depicts a middle-aged man, forming a pair with the Portrait of Izabella Branicka, née Poniatowska. The portrayed man is Jan Klemens Branicki (born in September 1689 in Tykocin or Białystok, died in October 1771 in Białystok), count, Grand Crown Hetman, Voivode of Kraków, one of the richest magnates in the 18th century Poland. His third wife was the aforementioned Izabella, née Poniatowska. Both portraits (of the husband and wife) are exhibited on the first floor of the castle in the Corner Salon. The Hetman was the last male descendant of the Branicki line. Having devoted himself to the military career, he climbed the ranks, changing allies but remaining partial to the Saxons. He was a patriot, but in his own way, and wore Polish outfit (the Łańcut painting depicts him in a zupan and delia). He was known as a patron of the arts, inviting to his court artists who worked for him. He made Białystok the “Versailles of the North”. The Łańcut painting is probably a copy from the original made by Sylwester August Mirys (born in 1700 in France, died in 1790 in Nowe Miasto near Białystok). He was the son of an emigrant Scottish nobleman, and was often referred to as Sylwester or Sylwester August. From 1731, he was connected with Poland, where he worked at the courts of the Jabłonowski, Sapieha and Krasicki family, as well as for Hetman Jan Klemens Branicki in Warsaw and Białystok. After the hetman’s death, he continued to work for his wife Izabela, née Poniatowska, and for Bishop Krasicki. He settled permanently in Białystok before 1760 and set up a studio there, working for the Branicki family in various painting techniques such as murals, mythological paintings, portraits and even miniatures. Many of his works are lost, he did not use to sign his works, and today it is difficult to establish his authorship.