View of the City of Lublin from the South

Ludwik Horwart’s unfold lithograph is one of several 19th century views of Lublin. It shows a vast, detailed panorama of the city from the south. Behind the undulating Bystrzyca river and the riverbank meadows, cut through with the newly delineated Zamość route, there is a densely built-up hill of the Old Town and the cathedral, on the right there is the Dominican church. In between there is the high tower of St. Michael's Church. In the background on the right is the Castle Hill. To the left of the cathedral the remains of the former Jesuit College with the neo-Gothic tower of the Trinity Gate, then the Krakowska Gate, the New Town Hall and the Church of the Holy Spirit. In front of the gate building, in the foreground, there is the Bernardine Sisters’ church (at that time still with the monastery) and the Reformed church (now the Perła Browary Lubelskie SA company). There are residential buildings and clumps of trees all around. On the left is a hilly landscape with few buildings, among them churches and a few palace complexes, e.g.: the Protestant Church, the Customs House (on today's I Armii Wojska Polskiego Street), and the Palace of the Voivodship Committee. A hill on the left; behind it - Świętokrzyskie Barracks (established after 1826 within the buildings of the Holy Cross Church).

The view begins an album of lithographs entitled A Collection of Major Buildings in the Lublin Voivodship published in Warsaw in 1836. The publication presents the most important buildings of the Lubelskie Voivodship at that time, most of which were constructed at the beginning of the Kingdom of Poland. Particular graphics show facades, sections and plans of buildings, mainly palaces and manors. Most of the objects are buildings from Lublin. There is also a large group of monuments of Puławy. The author of most of the graphics is Józef Sławiński, two were signed by Łaszcz. The author of the Lublin view, Ludwik Horwart (1806-1837 ?), active in Warsaw between 1821-1837, was a popular graphic artist of the time. He depicted architecture, historical events and portraits of famous figures, including those from the publication Portraits of Polish Kings and Famous People, with a Short Description of Their Lives (published by J. Kośmiński, Warsaw 1929-1930). Other well-known lithographs by the artist include: View of the Kazimierzowski Palace in Warsaw from 1820, an engraving based on Verenne's painting The Arrival of Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia, King of Poland to Warsaw on 12 November 1815 from 1829, and the emblem of the Congress Kingdom from 1826.

Renata Bartnik