Portrayals of Mikołaj Zebrzydowski’s in Literature and Art

Abstract

Together with first 19th century literary visions by J.U. Niemcewicz, there appeared an image of M. Zebrzydowski as a proud magnate who, driven by private interest, contributed to Poland’s downfall. Opponents of such portrayals of Zebrzydowski also took the opportunity to voice their opinions in that period. As a result, interest in Mikołaj Zebrzydowski as a partly mysterious figure grew, and his attitude was re-interpreted, sometimes looking at his rebellion from the perspective of contemporary events. In spite of the keen interest in Zebrzydowski in the second half of the 19th century, no answer was found to the commonly asked question of his attitude. In connection with the 400th anniversary of Mikołaj Zebrzydowski’s death, the author analyzed the portrayals of Zebrzydowski, starting with those created during his life to the 19th-century works, in an attempt to determine the reason for the extreme ways in which the magnate of Zebrzydowice was portrayed. Visual images are juxtaposed with literary descriptions, since information contained in these sources is complimentary (e.g. we may ascertain Zebrzydowski’s appearance).