woodcut, paper, 20 x 34 cm
Size: 20 x 34 cm in light passe-partout, woodcut, paper.
The graphic comes from the "Album of Jan Matejko" published in 1876 by S. Leventhal. Thedrawings on woodcut plates werepersonallymadeby Jan Matejko, engraved by the most outstanding wood engravers of the time.Salomon (Franciszek Salezy) Lewental (1841-1902),Warsaw publisher andbookseller,founder of theweekly newspaper "Kłosy".Lewentalwrote in hisafterword: "Thealbumincludedthemost exquisite paintings of the master, made in recent times; with theexception of reproductions of Rejtan, Ivan the Terrible and the Bardof the Lyricist, reproduced most faithfully by Messrs.Maszyńskiand Witkiewicz, accordingtophotographstakenfrom theoriginals, all other workswere drawn on wood byMatejkohimself" [...] the execution ofeach of suchwoodcuts,such as. Stefan Batory, Sejm in Lublin , et al.requiredsixmonths of time each, notcountingthetimeused to draw them on wood [...].
Jan Matejko's painting focuses on the person of the Polish alchemist and physician Michał Sędziwoj. He was a graduate of the Academy of Krakow, engaged in natural sciences and alchemy,andwrote a treatise on the philosopher's stone. Among other things, he became famous for hisallegedabilityto transform base metals intogold,whichreportedlyinvolveddeftlyremovingsilverpreviouslyappliedtoanugget ofgold and demonstrating it as transformed from silver. In 1595, the scientistwas appointedpersonal secretary byKing Sigismund III Vasa, so from then on he conducted research at Wawel Castle.
