Zygmunt August and Barbara Radziwiłłówna

The theme of Zygmunt August and Barbara Radziwiłłówna was repeated several times in the works of Jan Matejko. In addition to drawings and watercolors from 1858, the artist also painted an oil painting depicting this couple, Zygmunt August in a love kiss with Barbara (1867), preceded by an oil sketch of Zygmunt August with Barbara in the garden (1864).

The watercolor depicts the figures of King Zygmunt August and Barbara Radziwiłłówna in the foreground, in the background, on the right, an outline of several figures of courtiers. Painted with black and brown paint, in addition to the costume of one of the characters behind the royal couple, red. Despite the watercolor technique and the small size of the cardboard, the artist managed to bring out the plasticity and details of the costumes of Sigismund and Barbara.