Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Stockholm Roll / Rolka Polska - scans from Warsaw Royal Castle collection

Salvete Omnes,

king astride a chestnut horse


I am happy to provide this newest event in the saga* of the Rolka Polska or Stockholm Roll frieze-like painting on paper -  a gouache work of art circa 1605 AD, that was painted in the aftermath of the nuptials of our king Zygmunt III with the imperial princes Konstanza (Konstancja/Constance - known for the privilegium de non tolerandis Judaeis in her estates ) of Austria, and their triumphal entry into the Old Capital, i.e. Krakow.
We see a display of horsemanship, bejeweled arms and armor, and horse tack, painted horses, variety of horse tack (Italian perhaps and Polish and Eastern i.e., Ottoman and Crimean and Transylvanian ), variety of splendid costumes - Polish, Spanish and Italian and Eastern (Ottoman, Muscovy, Persian etc) . 

future queen of Polish Crown - princess Konstanza of Austria, her mother Archduchess Maria Anna of Bavaria, her sister Maria Christina, and princess Anna Vasa of Sweden.
















Polish infantry - drummer with a white eagle drum 

king's ecuyer on a bay horse



                                                                           and the future king Wladyslaw IV - 10 years old at that time 

young prince on a gray horse 



Link to the Royal Castle Museum portal in English / here Polish .

But Wiki Commons has some great scans from Swedish Royal Armory - here's the link

enjoy

Valete

*Rolka was painted for the king and his wife and their family and court, and in 1655 (during the Deluge) the special Swedish art commando while robbing valuables and even marble architectural  elements from the Royal Castle took the Roll to Sweden, and it was stored at the Livrustkammern, Sweden having violated the return of cultural treasures' condition  specified in the treaty of Oliwa 1660. In 1960s some Polish & Swedish historians started collaborating on a book publication about the Polonica (Polish and Poland related  objects taken from Poland during the Polish-Swedish wars) in the Swedish collections and the Roll was included. In 1969 Sweden allowed for the Roll to travel to Poland for the exhibition, and in 1974 Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, while visiting Poland, returned officially the Roll to Poland, directly to the collection of then newly restored from the World War II German barbarity our Royal Castle at Warsaw. 

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