Dailininkai XVIII a. Radvilų dvare
Artists in the Radziwiłł court in the 18th century

Summary/Abstract: As one-time artistic commissions were gaining a stronger foothold in the society of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, traditional long-term relations between an artist and the lord of the court remained significant in the Radziwiłł court in the 18th century. The author of the article explains the basis of these traditional relations between an artist and the court. A variety of professional, economic, and social possibilities offered for artists by the court are discussed. The artists’ relations with clients and court officials are analysed. Particular emphasis on the varying status of artists is laid. The opportunities of enjoying their prestige for many artists were usually scarce and short-lived. The majority of artists had a medium status (and only in exceptional cases, a somewhat superior one) if compared with other court servants and professionals. The article is based on the correspondence, as well as economic and legal documents related to the courts of several generations of the members of the Radziwiłł family - Anna Sanguszko-Radziwiłł, Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł Rybeńko, and Hieronim Florian Radziwiłł.

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