Delve into the fascinating narrative behind Anton Raphael Mengs' renowned 1751 portrait of Sir Charles Hanbury Williams. This exquisite oil painting is a cornerstone of the Royal Łazienki Museum's permanent collection, celebrated for its artistic merit and profound historical connections. Learn about Williams's crucial role in the life of King Stanisław August and the portrait's journey into the royal gallery.
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This oil on canvas portrait, created around 1751 by Anton Raphael Mengs, depicts Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, a significant figure in the life of Stanisław August. The painting held a special place in the King's collection due to Williams's role as a protector and friend to the young Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski. It is a key piece in the Royal Łazienki Museum's collection, notable for its historical context and personal significance.
The portrait of Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, created circa 1751 by Anton Raphael Mengs, occupies a prominent position within the collection of Stanisław August, being the only painting in the gallery catalogued at the highest valuation of 600 ducats in 1793. The King's personal attachment to the artwork stemmed from his relationship with the sitter, Sir Charles Hanbury Williams (1708–1759). A writer, poet, and satirist, Williams served as the English envoy in Dresden, Berlin, and St. Petersburg, and became a crucial mentor and guide to the young Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski, whom he met in Berlin in July 1750. The future Polish king visited Williams in Dresden in 1751, likely encountering the nearly completed portrait in Mengs's studio. The painting clearly left a profound impression on Stanisław August, as evidenced by his directive in 1781 to find and repurchase it from Williams's heirs. The portrait was ultimately in the possession of Richard Rigby, a friend of Williams, who had also befriended the young Poniatowski in 1754. Driven by past sentiment, Rigby gifted the portrait to Stanisław August, who in return sent his own likeness. The artwork arrived in Warsaw in 1782. The painting's dimensions are 110.2 x 82.2 cm, executed in oil on canvas, and it was added to the collection in 1782, currently located in the Palace on the Isle, in the Picture Gallery on the ground floor.
This artwork is part of the permanent collection at the Royal Łazienki Museum. General admission tickets are required to visit the Palace on the Isle where the Picture Gallery is located. Please check the museum's official website for current ticketing information and opening hours.
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