Anna Leszczyńska

The second half of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th centuries was a time of growing interest in medal-making in Poland. Initially, it was a branch of art supported mainly by the royal court. However, as time passed, the group of people imitating the ruler expanded. The oldest medals associated with the Polish lands include objects created on commission for eminent personalities not connected with the royal family. However, those were isolated cases. A significant increase in interest in medal-making was observed at the beginning of the 17th century. This was partly due to the fact that more artists were offering their services. Already during the reign of King Stefan Batory medals were made not only by artists specializing in this field, but also by engravers employed in mints. The similarity of techniques used in the creation of mint stamps and in the making of medals encouraged this group of artists. Most often these artists were anonymous, did not mark their products, and thus were not recognized. The royal mint in Vilnius was an important centre gathering such a group. However, not only the grand ducal city of Vilnius had its medal makers. At that time they were also active in Greater Poland and Silesia. It is not known which environment the presented medal should be associated with. It depicts Anna Leszczyńska, daughter of Stanisław Radzimiński, Voivode of Podlasie, wife of Rafał Leszczyński, Voivode of Bełz, better known as the great-grandmother of King Stanisław Leszczyński. Not much is known about the circumstances of the creation of this artefact. We only know the information included on the medal itself. We know that it depicts the above-mentioned woman and that it was made in 1614, although the presented copy is a later casting. Its maker did not leave a monogram, which would help identify the author. It belongs to a group of private medals, commissioned by representatives of important noble families. They often depicted women, e.g. the medal with the image of Anna Lubomirska from 1630 by Jan Engelhart or, contemporary to the described object, the one of Elżbieta Radziwiłł, depicted together with her husband Janusz by Hanusz Trylner in 1617.

Leszek Poniewozik