Questions of Privacy at the Zamoyska Palace in Warsaw

Abstract

Countess Ludwika Maria Zamoyska-Poniatowska (1728–1804) and her only child, Urszula Wandalin Mniszech-Zamoyska (1750–1816) were prominent figures at the court of their brother and uncle Stanisław August Poniatowski (1732–98), the last king of Poland from 1764 to 1795. Their influence has been recognised in the past, yet their — informal — politics have started to attract the attention of scholars only recently, while their architectural endeavours have yet to be explored. This paper offers a case-study of the no longer extant Zamoyska palace in Warsaw, the renovation of which was managed by Urszula Mniszech, on behalf of her mother. A set of architectural drawings from the 1780s and a 1799 inventory of the residence form the main focus of study. The distribution and function of rooms, interior decoration and the façade provide clues to the way this residence was to shape the life of Ludwika Zamoyska in a time of political upheaval. The variations between seemingly executed and rejected architectural designs also raise questions that can contribute to a better understanding of the different meanings of privacy in the late eighteenth century.