The Bacchus Room

The small interior on a rectangular plan, close to a square – is one of the oldest parts of
the Bathhouse of Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski. At the time, it was
the room for rest after taking a bath. The above explains the presence
of numerous decorative motifs associated with water (e.g. shells). On
request of the original owner, the walls of the room were decorated, and
at the same time protected against moisture with Dutch tiles (so-called
“Delft” tiles), which were very popular at the time, and depicted
Idyllic scenes from everyday life. During the reign of Stanisław August,
the room was known as the Faience Room owing to its ceramic wall
coating. The most important decorative element of this interior is the
monumental fireplace, above which hangs a painting by Jacob Jordaens the
Elder, Flora, Silenus and Zephyr – painted in c. 1640. In
1783, it was purchased to be included in Stanisław August’s gallery, and
since 1795, it has hanged in the Faience Room. It was not until 1939
that it was embedded in the richly adorned frame of the fireplace.

The Bacchus Room owes its present name to the ceiling painting made
by Jan Bogumił Plersch in 1778, which depicts the idol of wine and
Ceres. The painting burned down in the fire which broke out in the
Palace in 1944. In the times of Stanisław August, the interior played
the role of a small art gallery. 18 portraits by Hungarian painter, Ádám
Mányoki, were displayed there. He was one of the most eminent painters
of the 1st half of the 18th century that worked at the Saxon Court. The
paintings showed members of the court of Augustus II of Poland. The
portrait of this monarch, painted by Marcello Bacciarelli, most likely
on request of Stanisław August, adorns the passage to the Bathing Room.
In this way Stanisław August paid tribute to his predecessor, who – in
his time – occasionally stayed in the residence. For a certain period,
Augustus II leased the Bathhouse from the Lubomirski family. By hanging
the portrait, Stanisław August also emphasised the importance of the
place, which then presented itself as a special one since it was chosen
by kings. The original owner of the Ujazdowski Residence, Prince
Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski, an outstanding statesman and poet, is
commemorated with his portrait hanging in the overdoor (supraporta).

All paintings which can presently be admired in the Bacchus Room were once part of Stanisław August’s collection.