I found these prints on the net - they appear to have been made after a painting by old king Jan III Sobieski's painter Altamonte around 1697-8 or so (the original hangs at the Sobieski Palace at Wilanow, Warsaw-Poland). The painting depicted election of the Saxon prince Augustus II der Starke by the nobles of Poland-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1697 (there were many issues with that election and history proved that this king was not appropriate monarch nor commander-in-chief nor statesman for the Commonwealth).
... a nice image of a winged hussar, with a wing not dissimilar to this winged hussar retainer's wing
... a noble rumak (fine riding stallion or gelding) with its tack, this horse appear to be a dapple grey one and some nobles with bows and quivers and warhammers
... horseman and more men with bows, behind them perhaps a hajduk ( musket and war-ax carrying infantryman of Hungarian style)
... noble horsemen
... two nobles - perhaps a winged hussar companion and a cavalry chorągiew (company) with musicians in a background
They were going to fight in the incoming Great Northern War (1700-21), the war that destroyed Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth economy, population and military power.
In haiduk's background You can see someone who looks like janissary, most probably from some private troops.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. There is so few information about late 17th / early 18th century Polish army.
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