Exhibition
The Polish-Lithuanian court seen by early modern travellers
24 February - 31 March 2014
Vernissage 24 February 2014, 5.00 pm
Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Toruniu
ul. Gagarina 13, 87-100 Toruń
II floor
1 April - 31 July 2014
Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France
The exhibition is part of the project Representations of Poland, Germany and France in Comparison: Early Modern Travel Literature (Grand Tour, Embassies and Periodical Accounts) and is supported by the Programme for the Development of the Humanities of the Polish Ministry for Science and Higher Education.
Project coordinator: Prof. Włodzimierz Zientara
In cooperation with Prof. Jarosław Dumanowski and Prof. Jan Borm, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
In the 17th century the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth became subject of interest for European travellers. Louise-Marie de Gonzague’s marriage to Władysław IV Wasa and after his death to his brother John Casimir II and Marie Casimire d’Arquien’s marriage to John III Sobieski resulted in an intensification of cultural contacts and led to a rise of published travel accounts, guidebooks and dictionaries. Early modern Poland-Lithuania was a mysterious land –at the same time frightening and fascinating – it evoced the exotic with its lush nature, odd clothes, strange customs, cuisine and architecture. Polish roads and inns have tried the patience of foreign travellers, the weather, judicial system and social unrest but also traveller’s own habits and expectations made discovering Poland difficult.
The exhibition will present to the visitors the period when Europeans began to uncover the unknown Poland-Lithuania and encourage viewers to ask questions about common views on the Commonwealth in the early modern period and the way we tend to think about Poland today.
[The organizers would like to thank the National Library of Gdańsk and the Palace-Museum of Wilanów for their support in providing graphics and prints for the exhibition.]
