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Stańczyk
Stańczyk (c. 1480–1560) () was a Polish court jester, the most famous in Polish history. He was employed by three Polish kings: Alexander, Sigismund the Old and Sigismund Augustus. Name, identity and historicity Scarcity of sources gave rise to four distinct hypotheses in the 19th century: that he was entirely invented by Jan Kochanowski and his colleagues; or that he was "perhaps a typical jester dressed by his contemporaries in an Aesopian attire; or perhaps a Shakespearean vision of 19th century writers; or perhaps indeed a grey eminence of the ''societatis ioculatorum''". In any measure, common consensus among modern scholars is that such a person indeed existed and even if he did not, he had a tremendous importance to Polish culture of later centuries, appearing in works of many artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Almost nothing is known about Stańczyk's life and even his name and identity are a matter of dispute. Contemporary sources mention court jesters name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stańczyk (painting)
''Stańczyk'' (Full title: ''Stańczyk during a ball at the court of Queen Bona in the face of the loss of Smolensk'', pl, Stańczyk w czasie balu na dworze królowej Bony wobec straconego Smoleńska) is a painting by Jan Matejko finished in 1862. This painting was acquired by the Warsaw National Museum in 1924. During World War II it was looted by the Nazis and subsequently by the Soviet Union, but was returned to Poland around 1956. It is one of Matejko's most famous works and the one that launched him to fame. It has been described as one of the most recognizable paintings in the Warsaw National Museum, and is a flagship painting for the "Collection of Polish paintings prior to 1914". Its primary component is the contrast between the solemn jester (the titular Stańczyk) and the lively ball going on in the background. The painting has created an image of Stańczyk that has become iconic and widely recognized in Poland. Stańczyk Stańczyk, the male figure depicted in the p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jan Matejko
Jan Alojzy Matejko (; also known as Jan Mateyko; 24 June 1838 – 1 November 1893) was a Poles, Polish painting, painter, a leading 19th-century exponent of history painting, known for depicting nodal events from Polish history. His works include large scale oil on canvas, oil paintings such as ''Rejtan (painting), Rejtan'' (1866), ''the Unia lubelska (painting), Union of Lublin'' (1869), '' the Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God'' (1873), or ''the Battle of Grunwald (painting), Battle of Grunwald'' (1878). He was the author of numerous portraits, a gallery of List of Polish monarchs, Polish monarchs in book form, and murals in St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków. He is considered by many as the most celebrated Polish painters, Polish painter, and sometimes as the "national painter" of Poland. Matejko was among the notable people to receive an unsolicited letter from the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, as the latter tipped, in January 1889, into his psychotic break ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Court Jester
A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and town markets, and the discipline continues into the modern day, where jesters perform at historical-themed events. During the Middle Ages, jesters are often thought to have worn brightly colored clothes and eccentric hats in a motley pattern. Their modern counterparts usually mimic this costume. Jesters entertained with a wide variety of skills: principal among them were song, music, and storytelling, but many also employed acrobatics, juggling, telling jokes (such as puns, stereotypes, and imitation), and performing magic tricks. Much of the entertainment was performed in a comic style. Many jesters made contemporary jokes in word or song about people or events well known to their audiences. Etymology The modern use of the English ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polish Culture
The culture of Poland ( pl, Kultura Polski ) is the product of its geography and distinct historical evolution, which is closely connected to an intricate thousand-year history. Polish culture forms an important part of western civilization and the western world, with significant contributions to art, music, philosophy, mathematics, science, politics and literature. Its unique character developed as a result of its geography at the confluence of various European regions. It is theorised and speculated that ethnic Poles and the other Lechites (Kashubians and Silesians) are the combination of descendants of West Slavs The West Slavs are Slavic peoples who speak the West Slavic languages. They separated from the common Slavic group around the 7th century, and established independent polities in Central Europe by the 8th to 9th centuries. The West Slavic lan ... and people indigenous to the region including Celts, Balts and Germanic tribes which were gradually Polonization, Po ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Siege Of Smolensk (1514)
The siege of Smolensk of 1514 took place during the fourth Muscovite–Lithuanian War (1512–1520). The growing and strengthening Grand Duchy of Moscow clashed with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania over the territories of the former Kievan Rus'. The tension resulted in a series of wars starting in 1492. When war broke out again in November 1512, Moscow's main objective was to capture Smolensk, an important fortress and trade center that had been part of Lithuania since 1404. The Russians, commanded personally by Tsar Vasili III of Russia, laid a six-week siege in January–February 1513, but Grand Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski repelled the attack. Another four-week siege followed in August–September 1513. In May 1514, Vasili III again led his army against Smolensk. This time the Russian army included a number of artillerymen, brought from the Holy Roman Empire by Michael Glinski. After a lengthy preparation, shelling of the city from nearby hills began in July. After a few days Jur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous member state of the European Union. Warsaw is the nation's capital and largest metropolis. Other major cities include Kraków, Wrocław, Łódź, Poznań, Gdańsk, and Szczecin. Poland has a temperate transitional climate and its territory traverses the Central European Plain, extending from Baltic Sea in the north to Sudeten and Carpathian Mountains in the south. The longest Polish river is the Vistula, and Poland's highest point is Mount Rysy, situated in the Tatra mountain range of the Carpathians. The country is bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukraine to the east, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to the south, and Germany to the west. It also shares maritime boundaries with Denmark and Sweden. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stanislav (given Name)
Stanislav or Stanislaus (Latinized form) is a Slavic names, given name of Slavic origin, meaning someone who achieves glory or fame. It is common in the Slavic countries of Central and South Eastern Europe. The name has spread to many non-Slavic languages as well, such as French (Stanislas (other), Stanislas), German, and others. The feminine form is Stanislava. Polish language In Polish language, Polish, the name :pl:Stanisław, Stanisław has the following common diminutives: Stach, Stan, Stańko, Stas (given name), Staś, Stasio, Stasiek, Staszek. By 15th century the following diminutives were recorded: Stachnię, Stachnik, Stachno, Stachosz, Stachura (surname), Stachura, Stacher, Stachyr, Stachyra, Stasz, Staszak, Staszeczko, Staszek, Staszel, Stasiu. Many of them turned into family names.Zofia Kaleta, Nazwisko W Kulturze Polskiej, 1998,p. 54/ref> Variants: Stasław, Tasław. Its feminine form is :pl:Stanisława, Stanisława. Stasiek, Stach (surname), Stach ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Niepołomice
Niepołomice (pronounced ; ) is a town in southern Poland, within the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (since 1999). It is situated on the Vistula River, on the verge of the large virgin Niepołomice Forest. There is a 14th-century Niepołomice Castle, hunting castle in town initially built by Casimir III of Poland, Casimir III, as well as a conservation center for European bison ( pl, Żubry) nearby. The town is also home to professional association football, football club Puszcza Niepołomice. External links Official websiteSummary (in English) of NiepołomiceJewish Community in Niepołomice on Virtual Shtetl Cities and towns in Lesser Poland Voivodeship Wieliczka County {{Wieliczka-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Lithuanians, who were at the time a polytheistic nation born from several united Baltic tribes from Aukštaitija. The Grand Duchy expanded to include large portions of the former Kievan Rus' and other neighbouring states, including what is now Lithuania, Belarus and parts of Ukraine, Latvia, Poland, Russia and Moldova. At its greatest extent, in the 15th century, it was the largest state in Europe. It was a multi-ethnic and multiconfessional state, with great diversity in languages, religion, and cultural heritage. The consolidation of the Lithuanian lands began in the late 13th century. Mindaugas, the first ruler of the Grand Duchy, was crowned as Catholic King of Lithuania in 1253. The pagan state was targeted in a religious crusade by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mikołaj Rej
Mikołaj Rej or Mikołaj Rey of Nagłowice (4 February 1505 – between 8 September/5 October 1569) was a Polish poet and prose writer of the emerging Renaissance in Poland as it succeeded the Middle Ages, as well as a politician and musician. He was the first Polish author to write exclusively in the Polish language, and is considered (with Biernat of Lublin and Jan Kochanowski), to be one of the founders of Polish literary language and literature.Mikołaj Rej collection (with biography and body of works), ''National Digital Library'' (Cyfrowa Biblioteka Narodowa ''Polona''), 2006. Life Rej was born into a noble family (bea ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marcin Kromer
Marcin Kromer (Latin: ''Martinus Cromerus''; 11 November 1512 – 23 March 1589) was Prince-Bishop of Warmia (Ermland), a Polish cartographer, diplomat and historian in the Kingdom of Poland and later in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was a personal secretary to two Kings of Poland, Sigismund I the Old and Sigismund II Augustus. Biography Kromer was born in 1512 into a prominent burgher family of German descent in Biecz, in Lesser Poland. He completed his basic education in a local church-run school. In 1528 he transferred to Kraków, where in 1530 he graduated as a bachelor at the Cracow Academy. In 1533–37 he worked at the Royal Chancellery in Kraków. Thereafter he went to Italy, where he studied law for two years. Returning to Poland in 1540, he became secretary to Archbishop Piotr Gamrat. As the latter's personal advisor, he was also his envoy and representative to Rome, where he spent two years until 1544. He then became a canon in Kraków. In 1545, upon the deat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Łukasz Górnicki
Łukasz Ogonczyk Coat of Arms, Ogończyk Górnicki (1527 in Oświęcim – 22 July 1603 in Lipniki, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Lipniki by Tykocin), was a Polish Renaissance, poet, humanist, political commentator as well as secretary and chancellor of king Sigismund Augustus of Poland. He wrote a number of works both poetic and political. Górnicki is most famous from his ''Dworzanin polski'', an adaptation of Baldassare Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier, Book of the Courtier (''Il cortegiano''). Life Youth and education Łukasz Górnicki was born in Oświęcim. He was the son of Marcin Góra and Anna Gąsiorkówna, poor townspeople from Bochnia. Górnicki began his education there. His early life was heavily influenced by his uncle Stanisław Gąsiorek, called Anserinu, a cleric at and director of the royal chapel on Wawel, as well as author of Polish patriotic verses and composer. Stanisław took an interest in his nephew and brought him to Kraków in 1538, seeing to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
