Portrait of Izabela Czartoryska, née Fleming

The painting which is mostly grey, brown and green is illuminated by the figure of a woman approximately 30 to 40 years old. What catches the eye is her large brown eyes looking from under heavy eyelids. Above her eyes, we can see light, semicircular eyebrows. Her nose is straight and narrow, her pink-red lips are quite wide. The face is framed by curly, fluffy dark blond hair which turns grey in some places. Pinned up in a loose hairstyle, it partially falls to the shoulders. The portrayed lady is shown seated, from the waist up. She is wearing a white, almost transparent blouse with a small triangle neckline and a standing collar. On the blouse, she has a brown outfit resembling a dressing gown which also has a standing collar and long sleeves. The woman's right arm is hidden under a green-brown shawl draped over her back. Her left arm, bent at the elbow, holds up a shawl. The lady leans against a pedestal hidden in the surrounding gloom. In the background, we can see a part of an Attic-style column. In the upper left corner, there is the inscription: KS. IZABELLA Z HR. FLEMINGÓW/ CZARTORYSKA.

The frame consists of three strips of ornaments in the following arrangement: astragal, braided openwork and Lesbian cymatium, separated by slats. There are square tiles in the corners with swirling rosettes and “ears”, i.e. clear protrusions from the outer edge line.

The painting depicts Izabella Czartoryska, née Fleming, daughter of Antonina Czartoryska and the Grand Treasurer of Lithuania, Voivode of Pomerania, Jerzy Detloff Fleming. Wife of Duke Adam Czartoryski, cousin of King Stanislaus August Poniatowski, she went down in history as the creator of the first Polish museum in Puławy, in the Temple of the Sybil and the Gothic House.

Anna Szczęsny