Stephanie, Łańcut

The photograph depicts a young woman sitting on a bench. The woman is shown against a landscape of trees, en face with her head slightly turned to the left. She looks down at the lilies, roses, and carnations arranged on her lap and the bench. The woman has an oval face, large eyes, a long, straight nose, and narrow lips. Her hair is tied back, revealing her left ear. She is dressed in a long white gown with short, puffy sleeves. The gown is tied at the waist with a wide, dark sash. The sleeves and the front of the gown are adorned with dark lace and large flowers made of light-coloured fabric. Below the photograph is a handwritten inscription: “Stephanie Łańcut 1896.” Beneath it are the details of the photography studio where the photograph was taken: Alice Hughes, 52 Gower Street, London.

The woman immortalised in the photograph is Stéphanie, the wife of Archduke Rudolf, who participated in the famous hunts in Łańcut. While hunting is a controversial topic in the contemporary world, in past centuries it was considered a sport and a form of social life. It provided opportunities for gatherings, conversations, and inspiration for many painters, such as the Kossak family. The hunts organised by the Potocki family—first by Alfred, then by Roman—were prepared with the utmost care. It was the Potocki family who, as the first in the country, popularised the English style of “par force” hunting – on horseback, with packs of hounds, and in specially designed attire. These hunts took place annually in October and November and, apart from Archduke Rudolf, were attended by the Zamoyski, Radziwiłł, Tyszkiewicz, and Lubomirski families, Emperor Franz Joseph II, Prince George, Duke of Kent, President Ignacy Mościcki, and artists Wojciech Kossak and Julian Fałat.

Anna Szczęsny