In the collection of the Branicki family, now the Rey family, at the Château de Montrésor in France, there are two relief panels depicting the Battle of Vienna and King John III's triumphal entry into the liberated city. Soon after the victorious battle, the sculptural works were commissioned by the Bishop of Le Puy, Armand de Béthune, and are part of the monument to the Polish king. Thanks to Ksawery Branicki (1816-1879), they became part of the collection of Polish artifacts gathered at the Count's ancestral seat in exile in 1866.

A Carved Tale of the Battle of Vienna
The two large, rectangular relief panels, measuring 105 x 245 cm, were made of raw walnut wood. They were intended to decorate the lower part of the pedestal of the monumental statue of King John III, which Bishop Armand de Béthune planned to erect. In the Baroque style, the panels take the form of dynamic, multi-figural compositions. By means of varying relief heights - from an almost flat 'drawing' to an almost full-bodied sculpture, completely standing out from the background - the author achieved an effect of depth and exposed the most important motifs and figures. This method of carving is reminiscent of the relief technique renewed during the Renaissance, then called 'schiaccciato', and known from Roman reliefs depicting narrative scenes.

The first panel shows scenes of battle between Polish and Turkish troops and bears a Latin inscription on the frame: "[C]ASTRA LICET TRIPLICI PROSTENT CIRCUMDATA VA[LLO] / HAC VIA MAGNANIMO FERRO PATET INVIA REGI" (Though the camp continues surrounded by a triple rampart, the way opens for the great-spirited king). It depicts the decisive moment of the Battle of Vienna on 12 September 1683, when the Polish king led a victorious cavalry charge. In the centre, on a piled-up horse, we recognise the figure of John III aiming his sabre at the enemy. An element facilitating the identification of the monarch is the Polish attire - a kontusz and a cap with a fur trim, as well as a distinctive swarthy moustache. In front rushes Sobieski's young son, Prince Jakub, dressed in the armour of a Roman soldier. He turns in his saddle, pointing towards his father.

In the dense, chaotic composition, we recognise Christian soldiers: Poles in national costume, representatives of Western European armies in armour characteristic of the period and warriors in ancient Roman armour. Their Muslim opponents, who were defeated in battle and trampled by horses, are identified by their turbans and oriental pointed hats, bearded faces and the ossuaries (hairstyles) adorning the heads of some of them. The lower part of the composition is filled with piles of weapons and pieces of armour, fallen horses and beheaded Turks.

The second panel continues, as it were, the story of the heroic struggle. It shows the triumphant entry of the Polish retinue into Vienna. It is accompanied by the inscription 'TOTO SOLUS IN ORBE EST / QUI VELIT AC POSSIT VICTIS PREASTARE SALUTEM' (In all the world there is one who could lend deliverance to the defeated), which is a quotation from the Roman poet Lucan (Pharsalia, Book IX, v. 246-247). In the middle of a cavalcade of horsemen heading towards the city gate is a king riding almost stirrup to stirrup with a young prince. Both have their right hands raised, in which they probably originally held victorious sabres. They are accompanied by Polish soldiers carrying eagle pennants and commanders of the allied forces.

The triumphant nature of the scene is complemented by the bodies of the defeated Muslims and the chained prisoners of war depicted in an expressive, almost naturalistic manner in the lower part of the panel. Particularly dramatic are the images of the chopped-off heads of enemies impaled on spears or carried by the hair as trophies.

In both scenes, the 'antique costume', i.e. the saturation with clear elements associated with heroic antiquity, such as the Roman armour of the 'lorica' type, plays an important role, giving them weight and a universal character. Of special note is the 'calcatio' motif used - a gesture of victory, taken from the triumphal iconography of the Roman emperors. It is expressed through the humiliating trampling of the enemy or his symbols. At the same time, both depictions feature elements of weaponry directly relating to the context of the Turkish wars, including shields with crescents, curved sabres, mace and quivers.

Image of John III Sobieski in France
After the victorious relief of Vienna, the Polish king became a hero, known and commemorated in word and image throughout Europe. However, the ideological programme of the monument commissioned by Bishop de Béthune was not just an expression of homage and apotheosis to the victorious ruler. Indeed, Bishop Le Puy was a close relative of John III's wife, Maria Kazimiera. Presenting the merits of the Polish monarch was therefore also an element of de Béthune's self-promotion.

The tone of the monument, as well as the content of the two representations in question, perfectly reflect the spirit of French anti-Habsburg policy at the time. From a propaganda point of view, it is significant that Emperor Leopold I (1640-1705) was omitted from the battle scenes and the triumphal entry into liberated Vienna. The role not only of the conqueror of the Turks, but also of the defender and liberator of Christian Europe is here completely taken over by King John III. On the other hand, the prominent presence of the juvenile Prince James, with whom Sobieski, as it were, shares the glory of war, should be explained as an expression of dynastic politics. He is thus promoted as a worthy successor, the future king of Poland.

Truth and imagery in the image of the Polish king
The author of the high-class sculptural works that are the two panels was Pierre Vaneau (1653-1694), a native of Montpellier, court sculptor to Bishop Armand de Béthune at Le Puy in Auvergne. Undoubtedly an artist who had never visited Poland and had no autopsy knowledge of Polish realities, he used graphic representations to create the image of John III. These included the numerous images of the king circulated in Europe after the Battle of Vienna, including those in Polish dress. As a result, the image of the Polish ruler and his soldiers is a conglomerate of iconography that makes use of ancient costume, traditionally used in modern art to glorify deeds of war, with elements of Polish and Central European fashion, exotic to the French viewer.

In the reliefs, the king is wearing modern plate armour, over which is superimposed a knee-length sleeveless outer robe with a characteristic shamrock clasp with loops. Perhaps the model was a representation of a kontusz or delia with slit, discarded sleeves, or a sleeveless delia, known as a torte. The upper part of the armour is a breastplate with epaulettes modelled on ancient Roman armour with draped paludamentum (Roman military cloak), in which the Polish monarch was often portrayed. In the battle scene, John III wears a cap with a wide fur trim on his head, while in the scene of his entry into Vienna he wears a crown. Meanwhile, his companion Jakub is portrayed as an ancient young hero reminiscent of Alexander of Macedon.

John III as a defender of Christianity in European graphics
The popularity of John III, described after the 1683 Victory as 'Christianitatis Defensor' (defender of Christianity), 'Mars ultor' (Mars the avenger) 'Restitutor, Liberator Christianitatis' (restorer, liberator of Christianity), was built up through press reports and iconography created in graphics, medals and pamphlets. In this way, the figure of the Sarmatian in ancient armour became as well known as images of the Pope and other powerful European rulers. It was also a clear attempt to counteract the negative Austrian propaganda depreciating the merits of the Polish monarch in the defeat of the Turks.

A French example of analogous iconography can be found in an illustration in the almanac for 1684 published by Jacques Jollain, depicting a scene of the 'humiliating withdrawal of the Grand Vizier's army from besieged Vienna'. The images of John III (in the centre), James, the Elector of Bavaria Maximilian Emmanuel and Prince Charles of Lorraine are accompanied by an explanatory note in which the person of the Polish king is mentioned first. Mention may also be made of a series of ten engravings depicting the story of the siege and relief of Vienna made in 1683 by the Dutch engraver Romeyn de Hooghe (1645-1708), which gained considerable popularity.