The collection of the New Schleißheim Palace includes a collection of eight paintings depicting the victorious battles of John III Sobieski, which was probably given to the Polish royal and Bavarian princess Therese Kunegunda by her mother, Queen Maria Kazimiera, after the death of her beloved husband, John III Sobieski. The story of the creation and fate of this collection of battle paintings sheds light on the material and social culture of the 17th century.

Maria Kazimiera's efforts to commemorate the deeds of Jan III Sobieski

The battle series was one of many forms of commemorating the heroic deeds of John III Sobieski initiated by Maria Kazimiera. After her husband's death, Maria Kazimiera struggled to maintain her high social status, using the power of material possessions, displaying them and giving them as luxurious gifts. Pursuing a deliberate strategy of creating a lasting legacy for the king and her family, the queen also commissioned sacred foundations and the creation of numerous images of John III Sobieski.

The paintings given to her daughter were intended to remind family members of Elector Maximilian II Emmanuel Wittelsbach and the Bavarian court of John III Sobieski's heroism on the battlefield. This gift was an example of the Queen's practice of feminine diplomacy to build a coalition against the Habsburgs. The compositions were most likely created specifically for the only child at the Queen's request, following the instructions of Philippe le Masson (c. 1650-1725), also known as Dupont, an artillery engineer and loyal companion of John III Sobieski's war campaigns.

Eight battle scenes

On display in Room 43 of the New Schleißheim Palace, the collection consists of eight compositions depicting the climaxes of John III Sobieski's victorious battles. The subjects of the individual paintings are identified by the inscriptions on the banners. Fidelity to the depicted realities of the battles was to be guaranteed by the inclusion in the cartouches of information about the participation of an eyewitness, Dupont, in the battles. According to Mieczysław Gębarowicz, most of these compositions are copies of larger canvases that were kept in the Żółkwi castle. The history of their creation, the number of compositions commissioned and the fate of the two series remain the subject of speculation by researchers to this day.

- Battle of Chocim, late 17th century, oil, canvas, 79 x 102.5 cm

- Jean-Baptiste Martin, Battle of Yazlovets, 1705, oil, canvas

- Battle of Lviv, late 17th century, oil, canvas, 80 x 102.5 cm

- Moldavian Expedition, late 17th century, oil, canvas, 79.5 x 102.5 cm

- Battle of Ostrzyhom, late 17th century, oil, canvas, 80 x 102.5 cm

- Battle of Parkany, late 17th century, oil, canvas, 79.5 x 103 cm

- Battle of Vienna, late 17th century, oil, canvas

- Battle of Żórawno, late 17th century, oil, canvas