The equestrian portrait of King Jan III Sobieski (1629-1696) in armour, thundering the Ottoman army at the Battle of Vienna in 1683, in the collection of the New Palace in Schleißheim, is one of the most valuable depictions of Polish rulers in German museum collections.

For the collection of the New Palace in Schleißheim, it is of particular importance not only because the painting probably came from the brush of the renowned French painter of historical scenes, Pierre Denis Martin [also known as Martin the Younger or Martin Gobelins (1663-1742)], but also because of the story behind the finding of the royal image in the collection of the Elector of Bavaria, Maximilian Emanuel Wittelsbach. The Baroque palace in whose collection the painting is today, even though it was not completed according to the design of the residence and only one wing of it was eventually realised, has a monumental character and its interior reflects the interests of its owner. This is evidenced by the many battle paintings in the collection.

The Queen's gift

The oil portrait of John III Sobieski on horseback against the background of the Battle of Vienna was painted in the 1790s. It entered the collection after the death of the Polish monarch as a gift to his son-in-law, Maximilian Emanuel Wittelsbach, from Queen Maria Kazimiera. The painting was one of eight canvases sent to Teresa Kunegunda's husband at the time to remind him of the friendship established between him and John III Sobieski on the battlefield at Vienna.

Description of the portrait

John III Sobieski is depicted in the painting wearing a gold and red caracena (a type of armour), with a leopard skin thrown over his back, a mace under his right knee and a regiment in his right hand. The steed on which he sits stands on its hind legs, with the front legs raised in a somewhat circus-like pose. Beneath the horse's hooves are scattered attributes of the defeated enemy: a tangled Turkish flag, a shield and a turban. The monumental image of the ruler in the foreground contrasts with the tragic scene taking place in the background, where the drama of soldiers, terrorised captives and yasiris can be seen.

The painting exemplifies the image of John III Sobieski as a triumphant hero, emphasising his military successes and glory. In the upper right-hand corner of the canvas is the figure of the trumpet-blowing Slava, fragmentarily leaning out of the clouds with Sobieski's shield, further reinforcing the message of the ruler's glories.

The search for the archetype of this representation continues

The unsigned work from the collection of the New Palace in Schleißheim has parallels with realisations by Jerzy Eleuter Siemiginowski of the National Museum and Grzegorz Filip Rugendas of the National Museum in Kraków. So far, it has not been established who was the author of the archetypal image of John III Sobieski as an ancient hero against the background of the Battle of Vienna.