The Walters Art Museum (The Walters Museum) in Baltimore is one of the most important art collections in the United States, known for its chronologically wide-ranging collection from ancient Egypt to recent art. The European segment of the collection includes six objects related to the history of the Republic . Among them, as many as four are connected with Polish kings - Sigismund I, Stanisław Leszczyński and August II the Strong, as well as one connected with the Sobieski family - a portrait of Maria Klementyna Sobieska . The Szyk Haggadah , on the other hand, is a work of 20th-century origin and one of the best displays of 20th-century intrligatory art. Its author, Artur Szyk (1894-1951) this artist with Polish-Jewish roots, settled in the United States during the Second World War. The publication, however, was issued while he was still in London.

One of the most interesting exhibits is the bowl of Augustus II the Strong (1670-1733). This magnificent late Baroque monument was made around 1720 for Augustus II the Strong (1670-1733), Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. It is one of two twin pieces that were first presented in 1722 in the famous Grünes Gewölbe in Dresden, the monarch's treasury, which was converted into a public museum in 1723. The second one is still in the Dresden collection. They differ in the way the horse placed on them is depicted. The object in the collection depicts him in a more dynamic pose with his front legs raised, while the German one shows him in a parade trot.

The bowl is a testimony to the splendour of the Saxon court and at the same time a clear sign of the symbolic connection between Saxony and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The agate bowl is set on top of the aforementioned horse with an enamel 'Polish' decoration, according to the 1722 description. Protruding from the richly enamelled cap is the hilt of the coronation sword and the cross of the Order of the White Eagle - the highest Polish decoration, established by Augustus in 1705. On the reverse of the chalice is an enamel plaque with the Pahonia coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The two other elments associated with the Republic of Poland are the Polish royal crown resting on a purple cushion and a white eagle. In addition, we can find the monogram of August II. The decoration is enriched by animalistic elements - dogs and salamanders - subtly woven into the baroque acanthus ornament.

The whole piece is executed with the extraordinary craftsmanship characteristic of the work of Johann Melchior Dinglinger, the Saxon court jeweller, who from 1698 headed the workshop together with his brothers Georg Friedrich (enameller) and Georg Christoph (goldsmith). These artists drew on the mineral resources of Saxony, continuing the Renaissance tradition of combining semi-precious stones and enamels with precious metals. It is worth mentioning that Dinglinger's international reputation was such that he hosted Tsar Peter the Great himself in his home in 1712.

Another interesting object is a miniature of from ca. 1750. It is a medallion with a portrait of King Stanislaw Leszczynski (1677-1766 ) in formal attire from his reign in Lorraine. The image is enclosed in a metal oval frame with an eyelet for hanging characteristic of 18th-century personal portraits, often worn as a memento or sign of loyalty.

The king is depicted in half pose, with his figure slightly twisted and his gaze directed towards the viewer. He is dressed in a dark, richly embroidered uniform with decorative buttons and axelbants (epaulettes). A white order sash is slung across his chest, and the star of the Order of the Holy Spirit, the highest French order, awarded only to members of the royal dynasty and heads of friendly states. In his hand Leszczyński holds a staff, a symbol of power and authority.

The portrait combines features of a representative monarchical image and a sentimental court miniature, typical of the portrait style of the mid-18th century, especially at the courts of Lunéville and Nancy. Similar depictions can be found in the Lorraine portraits of Jean-Baptiste van Loo and Jean Girardet bearing the title of 'painter to the King of Poland' Stanislas Leszczynski, but they differ in costume.

The museum's collection also includes an illuminated Passover Haggadah compiled by the Polish-Jewish artist Artur Szyka between 1934 and 1936, its first edition dating from 1940. This work, considered one of the most outstanding book art achievements of the 20th century. It is the artist's visual commentary on the story of the Jewish Exodus from Egypt and an allusion to contemporary political events, in particular the rise of Nazism in Europe. The Haggadah contains 48 full-page miniatures painted in watercolour and gouache, in which the Hebrew text is integrated with illuminations in the spirit of the medieval manuscript tradition. In the visual layer, Artur Szyk combined the stylistics of medieval manuscripts with a modern, committed political message. Traditional scenes such as 'Four Questions' and 'Four Sons' have been supplemented with allusions to the realities of the 1930s. One example is the figure of the Wicked Son, stylised as a Nazi sympathiser with a distinctive moustache and an outfit resembling a German uniform.

Initially, the artist planned to publish the Haggadah in Poland or France, but due to the explicit political references (including swastikas on the armbands of Egyptian soldiers), the publishers refused to cooperate. In 1937 Szyk moved to London, where he began working with the newly formed Beaconsfield Press, an outfit set up specifically to publish the Haggadah. Then, probably under the influence of censorship or political suggestions, the artist painted over the most controversial symbols. In 1940, the first edition of Szyk's Haggadah was published, an exclusive edition of 250 copies on parchment, bound in leather, with parallel Hebrew and English texts and a commentary by historian Cecil Roth. The publication was dedicated to King George VI and received an enthusiastic reception, with The Times describing it as a work "worthy of a place among the most beautiful books the hand of man has produced". Szyk used archaic forms such as initials decorated with a rich colour palette, gilding and floral ornamentation to emphasise the sacred dimension of the Haggadah, while giving it a timely moral message. His works are characterised by a mastery of miniature and an attention to iconographic precision and narrative.

Catalogue

Cup with depiction of Sigismund I
Matthes Gebel (ca. 1500-1574)
ca. 1550-1575, medal 1538
height 25.8 cm
inv. no. 57.1029

Acquired by Henry Walters in 1908, bequeathed to the museum's collection in testamentary form.

Object shown in exhibitions
2000 - Small Northern European Portraits from The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. National Gallery of Art, Washington.
1994 - Artful Dining: The Exhibition. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.
1971-1972 - World of Wonder. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.

In 1966 it underwent minor conservation work

Reproduction and more information in the museum catalogue

Chalice of Augustus II the Strong
Johann Melchior Dinglinger
ca. 1720
agate, gold, silver, gold-plated silver, enamel, diamonds and semi-precious stones
height 29 cm
inv. no. 57.1994

Museum purchase in 1971.

The object has been exhibited four times until 2025 (information behind the catalogue card)
2014-2016 - 'From Rye to Raphael: The Walters Story', The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.
2003-2004 - 'The Fabergé Menagerie. The Walters Art Museum', Baltimore; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus; Portland Art Museum, Portland.
1984 - 'Objects of Vertu: Precious Works of the Eighteenth Century', The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.
1971-1972 - 'World of Wonder'. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.

In 2014 it underwent minor conservation work in preparation for an exhibition

Reproduction and more information in the museum catalogue

Partisan with motif of double-headed eagle, crown and shield of arms
Polish artist (according to the museum catalogue)
1719
steel, wood
height 276.9 cm
inv. no. 51.1319

Object from the collection of Augustus II the Strong; probably acquired by the Liechtenstein family; New York, auction 19 November 1926, item no. 287.

Reproduction and more information in the museum catalogue

Portrait of Maria Klementyna Sobieska
ca. 1719
oil on canvas
109.3 × 96.4 × 6 cm
inv. no. 37. 406

Origin collection of Don Marcello Massarenti, Rome then bought by Henry Walters in 1902, donated to the museum in 1931 (by will)

The object is on permanent display (June 2025)

2006-2009 - 'Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts'.

Reproduction and more information in the museum catalogue

Medallion with an image of Stanislaw Leszczynski
artist unknown (identified with German circle)
1738-1750
watercolour on paper
6.4 × 7.7 cm
inv. no. 38.33

Provenance probably a testamentary bequest in 1931

Reproduction and more information in the museum catalogue

The Szyk Haggadah

Arthur Szyk (1894-1951)
1940 (first edition) print, ink on parchment
28.8 x 25 cm
inv. no. 92.1349

Museum purchase with funds from the W. Alton Foundation in 2018

Object shown in exhibition
2023 - New on the Bookshelf: Expanded Narratives, part I .

Reproduction and more information in the museum catalogue

All catalogue descriptions compiled from museum data.