THE COLLECTION OF JAN PONĘTOWSKI. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE DESCRIPTION OF ITS CONTENTS
THE COLLECTION OF JAN PONĘTOWSKI. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE DESCRIPTION OF ITS CONTENTS

Summary/Abstract: Jan Ponętowski (ca. 1530–1598), abbot of Hradište (Moravia) from 1577 to 1587, was a collector who managed to bring together one of the most valuable Polish art collections of his time. Of this collection, about 900 prints bound in volumes, a number of books illustrated with engravings and woodcuts, as well as three rolls of etchings are now held by the Jagiellonian Library. All of these are sixteenth-century prints, made for the most part using metal techniques. Four fifths of them come from the Netherlands and the rest from Italy. Part of Ponętowski’s library has also survived, including several manuscripts and incunables. Some of these books have extremely fine artistic bindings made of materials such as silk or velvet and adorned with pearls and coral, while others – made of leather – are mostly decorated with plaques. Most of the bindings come from Bohemia. Unfortunately, a large part of Ponętowski’s collection – including fabrics, paintings on canvas and on wooden boards, as well as most of the church paraments – has not survived. Additionally, most of the library has been dispersed. Ponętowski, who strongly wished to be remembered by future generations, used several supralibros and bookplates. Jan Ponętowski, abbot, Hradište, collection, donation, Jagiellonian Library

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