Kazimierz Jagiellonczyk 

This is Jan Matejko's lithograph of Kazimierz Jagiellonczyk, produced in 1881. The somber monochrome and tight composition focuses our attention on the figure of Kazimierz, whose likeness emerges from a background of shadowed strokes. The lines, etched with great precision, delineate the contours of his fur-lined robes and regal accessories—orb and sceptre—each element contributing to an imposing presence. Matejko masterfully employs the formal elements to evoke a sense of authority, his textures almost tactile. The use of lithography, with its capacity for detailed reproduction, suggests an engagement with the structural reproduction of power. The contrast between light and shadow doesn't merely depict form; it signifies the weight of history and legacy. The image is a semiotic field, the orb and sceptre coded signs signifying sovereignty. The crown, rendered with meticulous detail, is more than an emblem; it's a symbol of a cultural and political structure. Matejko’s lithograph invites us to consider how form embodies ideology and how art participates in the construction of historical memory.