User:Marok20/sandbox

=Stańczyk = = General information = Author: Jan Matejko Year: 1862 Genre: historical painting Holding institution: the Warsaw National Museum

= Jan Matejko = About the author = The painting = The full title of the painting commonly known as "Stańczyk" is the following: "Stańczyk during a ball at the court of Queen Bona in the face of the loss of Smolensk". It depicts Stańczyk, the jester of King Sigismund I the Old, sitting in an armchair, deep in thought. His posture shows despair and the fact that he is alone in a dark room speaks of his melancholy. A comet outside the window symbolises the downfall of the empire. Dark colours convey pain, suffering, fear and war. The royal jester is Matejko's self-portrait. By painting pictures, including Stańczyk, Matejko showed his own experiences of national strife. = Sources =