Three Graces

This painting from the collection of the Potoccy family, the former owners of the castle, depicts three young, naked women, embracing themselves, standing among trees at a stone fountain. These are three Graces, figures from Roman mythology, sisters, daughters to Zeus. These are goddesses of charm and happiness – Euphrosyne, Aglaea and Thalia, or Joy, Shining and Blooming. They lived in the Olympus and frequently accompanied Apollo, Aphrodite and Athena. They provided people with charm and beauty, they were patrons of feasts and celebrations. The painting in Łańcut is a faithful copy (from the 1st half of the 17th century) of a Peter Paul Rubens original of the same title, created in 1638. The way the painter uses the light additionally turns the viewers’ attention to the female figures, depicting the beauty of their naked bodies – beauty as understood by people of the Baroque. The painting is made on copper sheet, and displayed in the Billiards Room on the 1st floor of the Castle.