Study to the Painting ‘The Death of Barbara Radziwiłł – Head of Quinn Barbara’ before 1860

Józef Simmler made this oil study for his painting ‘The Death of Barbara Radziwiłł’ in 19th century Poland, which at the time was under foreign control. Simmler’s choice of subject speaks volumes about the cultural and political context in which he worked. Barbara Radziwiłł was a Polish queen whose untimely death in the 16th century was rumored to be the result of poisoning. In Simmler’s time, the story of Barbara Radziwiłł resonated as a symbol of Polish national identity and resistance against foreign domination. The artist elevates Radziwiłł to the status of a national martyr, and subtly critiques the existing social order through its romantic vision of Polish history. To fully appreciate Simmler’s art, we need to delve into the history of 19th-century Poland and the ways in which artists used historical narratives to express their political ideals. We can see how art becomes a powerful tool for shaping collective memory and challenging existing power structures.