Medallion with the portrait of Adam Naruszewicz

The fashion for portrait medallions arrived from France and spread rapidly throughout Europe during the 19th century. Renowned sculptors modelled bas-relief images of historical figures and people respected and distinguished for the country. The demand for medallions flourished in the Kingdom of Poland and was capitalised on by the Warsaw industrialist Karol Juliusz Minter (1812-1892), who turned the production of his family's foundry, acquired in 1835, primarily into artistic accessories. By employing renowned artists, the company's product range was distinguished by its high artistic values. Among these was a medallion depicting a high relief bust of Adam Naruszewicz (1733-1796), bishop of Smoleńsk, then of Lutsk, writer, poet, and close associate of King Stanislaw August Poniatowski. He is credited with works such as “Historia narodu polskiego” (The history of the Polish nation) and 'Dzieje prehistoryczne’ (The prehistoric times), as well as being known as the father of Polish historiography. The medallion was created as part of Minter's series of reliefs with images of Polish notables, published between 1850 and 1879. It is notable for its faithfulness in depicting facial features, which was modelled, according to historians, on the print portrait of Jan Piotr Norblin. The work remains unsigned, but was undoubtedly rendered by the hand of a talented sculptor. It is believed to be a copy of a French original. On the back of the medallion, there is a plate with the hallmark of the Karol Minter factory, informing about the place of production. High interest in this type of souvenirs meant that various replicas were created and it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish them from the originals. Genowefa Horoszko