Portret Władysława IV Wazy z kolekcji Narodowego Muzeum Sztuki Republiki Białoruś
The portrait of Ladislas IV Vasa from the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus

Summary/Abstract: Painted around 1626, the portrait of Royal Prince Ladislas IV of the House of Vasa, previously in the Radivil Nesvizh collection, was unknown to the general public until 2002. Attributed to the Gdansk painter Thomas Tetcze (Tesel), the canvas is a missing link between the rich iconography of the royal sitter from the period of his European peregrination and representations of the sovereign inspired by his election, coronation and the Smolensk campaign. The present study aims to elucidate the circumstances in which the Nesvizh canvas was created, as well as to reconstruct the circle of addressees of the portrait group it belongs to. One of the research disciplines which could prove helpful in breaking the code of the said representation is costumology situated in a wider cultural context.The painting illustrates the political aspirations held by the elder son of Sigismund III of the House of Vasa, wanting to take command of the Polish troops during the war with Gustav II Adolph of Sweden and, in the long run, preparing to regain the Swedish throne. It might also reflect the Prince’s intention to create the image of a warlike sovereign who would nevertheless guarantee religious peace, an image that would appeal to the future Protestant electors of the Polish commonwealth. It might also be part of the campaign against the idea of vivente rege election, excluding Ladislas from the struggle for the throne. The Prince styles himself to look like a true rival to the l ion of the North, e. g., by putting on a leather jerkin and making the expansive gesture of akimbo. The latter illustrates the sitter’s readiness to protect and govern; it also expresses his ambitions related to spatial dominion and creates the impression of power, pride and ostentation. The image of a warrior was entirely in line with the idea of a Prince worthy of the wreath of glory, willing to accept the well-deserved honours. Like no other Polish elective king, Ladislas IV knew how to use the propaganda features of dress, and the portrait under analysis is a case in point.

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