PROGRAMME

19 December

workshop: Iberian Art in Central and Eastern European Collections with presentations by Veronika Červená (Lobkovicz Collection), Martyna Łukasiewicz (National Museum in Poznan)

Two ten-minute presentations followed by discussion

The Collection of Spanish works owned by the Lobkovicz Family

Members of the Lobkowicz family were inextricably linked to the Spanish court and the culture of the Iberian Peninsula in general. Maria Manrique de Lara y Mendoza (c. 1538–1608), who married Vratislav II of Pernstein in 1555, played a crucial role in the penetration of these influences. One of their descendants was Polyxena of Pernstein (1566–1642), whose second husband was Zdenko Adalbert Popel of Lobkowicz (1568–1628). Through this marriage, part of the collection of Maria Manrique came into the possession of the Lobkowiczs, who brought a whole range of art objects with her from Spain and, after moving to Bohemia, still had them sent directly from Spain, including paintings. This created an extensive portrait gallery of European renown, some of whose works will be presented in the lecture.

Mgr. Veronika Červená currently works as Assistant of Curator of the Lobkowicz Collections. She studied Art History at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, and is continuing her doctoral studies at the Academy of Arts Architecture & Design in Prague.

Les Arts En Portugal. Iberian artworks in the collection of Athanasius Raczyński
In 1848 Athanasius Raczyński (1788–1874), Polish Count and diplomat in service of the Kingdom of Prussia, travelled from Lisbon, via Cadiz and Seville to Madrid to start his diplomatic mission and at the same time an intense stay in the Kingdom of Spain. Holding a prominent position among the European diplomatic elite, having extensive contacts in political spheres, a sharp eye, and analytical skills, in a short period of time, Raczyński became not only a keen observer and skilful commentator of political and social life but also an active participant of the artistic scene first in Portugal and then in Spain. Reflecting on Raczyński as a connoisseur and active collector leads to his interest in both Portuguese art (he was a keen researcher and the author of pioneering book on Portuguese art, entailed Les Arts en Portugal), and Spanish Old Masters paintings. The result of his interest was the acquisition of masterpieces such as the Madonna of the Rosary by Francisco de Zurbarán, the purchase of which was widely commented in the press, as well as works by José de Ribera, José Antolinez or Juan Carreño de Miranda to his gallery. The collection, along with an extensive archive, sheds light on a vibrant Spanish and Portuguese visual culture, collecting practices, and networks seen from a perspective of a prominent collector.
Martyna Łukasiewicz is an art historian and curator at the National Museum in Poznan. She is a PhD candidate in art history with a dissertation dedicated to 19th century Danish museology. Her research interests encompass the 19th-century European painting, museology, and the history of collecting. She curated the first exhibition of Vilhelm Hammershøi in Poland (2021/2022). She presented her research findings at various international conferences, including the University of Copenhagen, University of Oxford, Humboldt University of Berlin, and University of Geneva. She is a member of CODART, the Association for Art History, the Association of Art Historians in Poland.