Prince Józef Poniatowski on horseback

Painting from the collection of the Potocki family, former owners of Łańcut; it shows an equestrian portrait of Prince Józef Poniatowski. It is a watercolour, covered with glass, framed in a decorative passe-partout and gilded, profiled frame. The painting is signed and dated in the lower right corner “Juliusz Kossak 1879”. Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski, (born in 1763, Vienna, died in 1813) was a general, minister of war, commander-in-chief of the armies of the Duchy of Warsaw and Marshal of France, son of Andrzej Poniatowski and Teresa of the Kinsky dukes. Raised abroad, he remained a Pole thanks to the protection of his uncle Stanisław August Poniatowski, King of Poland. From childhood he was destined for military service and was brought up to it. Initially he served in the Austrian army, and from 1789 in the Polish army, where he received the rank of major general and became commander of the 4th Division. During the Polish-Russian War in 1792, he distinguished himself in the victorious battle of Zieleniec, for which he was awarded the Order of Virtuti Militari. He was a firm opponent of any agreements with the partitioning states, and believed that the fight for independence should continue. After the outbreak of war with Austria and the victorious battle at Lutzen on the Elbe, he reached Leipzig with his army, where he was appointed Marshal of France by Napoleon on the first day of the Battle of the Nations. On 19 October he died crossing the River Elster, probably shot by his allies. Juliusz Kossak (born in 1824, died in 1899) was a famous Polish painter, illustrator and draughtsman. He mainly painted historical and battle paintings with horses being his favourite subject. His master was Piotr Michałowski. In 1844, thanks to his acquaintance with the Dzieduszycki family, he was introduced into the landed gentry circle, and while staying at the courts of the aristocracy (the Potocki family), he painted hunting scenes and portraits, including portraits of horses. He is considered to be the founder of Polish battle painting. He gained mastery of the watercolour technique.