Jan Tricius (1620 -1698) Portrait of Maria Casimir (future queen of Poland)

Jan Tricius (1620; 1698) Portrait of Maria Casimir (future queen of Poland) circa 1660.

Re-lined canvas of 94 cm by 75 cm
Important frame of 125 cm by 106 cm

On our painting Maria Casimir is not yet queen of Poland as this is indicated by the presence of the Bohemian crown to its right and not the Polish crown. Our painting can therefore be dated around 1660. She is still married to Jan Sobiepan Zamoyski, Duke of Bohemia who died in 1665. The artist produced another similar portrait, this time as a queen with royal attributes, a painting which is part of now in the collections of the Wilanow Palace Museum in Warsaw.

Marie-Casimire-Louise de La Grange d'Arquien (1641; 1716)

Marie-Casimire-Louise de La Grange d'Arquien, named in Poland Maria Kazimiera, and nicknamed Marysie?ka, born June 28, 1641 in Nevers and died January 30 1716 in Blois, was Queen of Poland from 1674 to 1696 as the wife of Jan III Sobieski. She is the daughter of Henri Albert de la Grange d'Arquien, of the middle nobility of Nivernais, and of Françoise de La Châtre. From the age of five, she accompanied as a lady-in-waiting Marie Louise de Gonzague Nevers, who became Queen of Poland by marrying Ladislas I, then her successor John II Casimir. She met Jean Sobieski in 1656, but was first married to Jan Sobiepan Zamoyski on March 3, 1658, by whom she had four children, all of whom died young. Becoming a widow in 1665, Marie-Casimire married Sobieski on July 5 of the same year. Together they would have fourteen or fifteen children, of whom only four would survive. Jean Sobieski was elected king of Poland in 1672 and reigned from 1674. As queen of Poland, Marie-Casimire supported a possible alliance with France. She advocates autocracy, disliking the limited monarchy as it exists in Poland. A fervent Catholic, she also rejects religious tolerance. She had the Saint Casimir Church built, dedicated to the worship of the Blessed Sacrament, where the tombs of her children were installed. Her husband died in 1696; she then leaves Poland to return to France.

Jan Tricius (1620; 1698)

There are not many details about the painter's biography. He studied in Paris, where he was fascinated by the work of the French painter Nicolas Poussin. He then perfected his skills in Antwerp. He became acquainted with the works of one of the greatest masters of the Flemish brush, Jacob Jordaens, then settled in Gdansk. From 1655 the artist lived in Krakow. Contacts with the court of John II Casimir Vasa quickly helped him obtain employment as a court painter. Tricius mainly painted portraits of dignitaries in the typical aesthetic of Sarmatian images, then painted kings, especially John III Sobieski whom he portrayed on numerous occasions. The monarchs posed alone or with members of their immediate family. In addition to images of secular and religious dignitaries, he also painted religious paintings. One of them is in the Gothic church dedicated to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, located in Bolechowice near Krakow. The painting entitled "The Crucifixion" decorates the high altar. The artist was also involved in the conservation of the paintings decorating the walls of the royal castle. In 1684, King Jan III Sobieski entrusted him with the role of master of the keys.