Portrait of Henryk Lubomirski 1797

Joseph Kreutzinger painted this portrait of Henryk Lubomirski in the late 18th or early 19th century, probably in Austria. The image of Lubomirski, with his powdered hair and military attire, speaks to the conventions of aristocratic portraiture at the time. The symbols of status are all there, but what does this image tell us about the subject's role in society? Lubomirski was a Polish nobleman, politician, and general. We might want to consider the political climate in Poland at the time. Was he a progressive figure? A conservative one? To understand this portrait better, we need to research the history of the Lubomirski family, the political landscape of Poland, and the institutions of aristocratic power in that time and place. Considering these contexts will allow us to gain a deeper understanding of the image.