A unique journey in the footsteps of seven masterpieces of world art in Poland, combining encounters with extraordinary works of art and the fascinating stories behind them. Beyond their artistic beauty, these works reveal dramatic histories of loss, survival, and rediscovery. How did two art history students discover one of Poland’s most valuable paintings in a remote village church in 1964? What secrets lie behind the traces left on Rembrandt’s "Lady with an Ermine" during the Second World War? Why was a painting by Claude Monet hidden away for years? These and many other stories await you on a journey accompanied by a PhD art historian specialising in European painting. The world of great art is complemented by visits to Poland’s most beautiful cities, rich cultural programmes, and memorable experiences, including concerts at the National Opera and the Philharmonic.
Duration: 8 days
Itinerary: Warsaw – Siedlce – Częstochowa – Krakow – Wrocław – Poznań – Toruń – Gdańsk
Paintings, artists & places included in the itinerary:
1. "The Girl in a Picture Frame", Rembrandt van Rijn, Royal Castle in Warsaw
This work was created in 1641 and is also known under the title "The Jewish Bride". It was acquired by the Polish monarch Stanisław August Poniatowski. Later it belonged to the noble Lanckoroński family in Vienna. During World War II, the Gestapo confiscated the painting. After the war it returned to Poland, and in 1994 Karolina Lanckorońska donated the painting to the Royal Castle in Warsaw.
- "Ecstasy of St. Francis of Assisi", El Greco, Diocesan Museum in Siedlce
The route of El Greco's painting to Poland has not been clearly established; there are various theories. One states that Walenty Drogosław Skórzewski, colonel in the 7th Infantry Regiment of the Duchy of Warsaw, acquired it in Spain. Another assumption is that a Napoleonic soldier brought the painting to Poland during the Russian campaign. The painting has laid for a long time in the attic of a village church near Siedlce until it was accidentally discovered in 1966 by two art history students. During restoration, the name Domenikos Theotokopulos, El Greco's actual name, was identified. Since 2004 the painting has been exhibited in the Diocesan Museum in Siedlce. Its value is estimated at 5 million US dollars.
- "Lady with an Ermine", Leonardo da Vinci, Czartoryski Museum in Krakow
In Polish collections, this is the only painting by the Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci. The mysterious smile and gentle gaze belong to Cecylia Gallerani, the mistress of Prince Ludovico Sforza. The painting from 1490 was acquired in 1800 by Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski and dedicated to his mother Izabela Czartoryska. In 1939 the Germans stole the painting and used it as decoration in Wawel Castle, the residence of the Governor General Hans Frank. Later it was taken to Germany, but returned to Krakow in 1946. The last change of ownership took place in 2013, when the painting was sold for 127 million dollars. The insurance value of the painting is 300 million euros.
- "Landscape with the Good Samaritan", Rembrandt van Rijn, Czartoryski Museum in Krakow
The painting, created in 1638, was purchased at an auction in Paris in 1774 and came to Poland as part of the collection of Izabela Czartoryska. In 1939, the painting was seized by the Germans but returned to Poland after the war. It is one of only six oil landscapes by Rembrandt and one of just three of his works preserved in Poland.
- "Madonna under the Firs", Lucas Cranach the Elder, Archdiocesan Museum in Wroclaw
The painting dates from 1510 and was displayed in Wrocław Cathedral from 1517. Considered one of the most important works by Lucas Cranach the Elder, the original was stolen in 1946 and replaced with a forgery created by two German clergymen. The deception remained undiscovered until the 1960s. In 2012, the painting was recovered and returned to the collection of the Archdiocesan Museum in Wrocław.
- "Beach in Pourville", Claude Monet, National Museum in Poznan
This painting is the only work by Claude Monet, the leading figure of Impressionism, in Poland. Originally owned by Monet’s art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel, it arrived in Poland in 1906. During the Second World War, it was stolen by the Nazis and later taken by the Red Army to the Hermitage before being returned to Poland in 1956.
The painting’s turbulent history continued in 2000, when it was removed from its frame, replaced with a forgery, and stolen in broad daylight. Recovered ten years later, it is now displayed at the National Museum in Poznań.
- "The Last Judgment", Hans Memling, National Museum in Gdansk
This triptych was created between 1467 and 1471 by Hans Memling, commissioned by the Bruges banker Angelo di Jacopo Tani for the family chapel of the Tani family near Florence. In 1473, it was seized during a sea voyage by the Gdańsk privateer Paweł Beneke and, after the division of the spoils, eventually found its way to St. Mary’s Basilica in Gdańsk.
During the Second World War, the triptych was seized by the Germans and later transferred by the Red Army to the Hermitage as a war trophy. Since 1958, it has been back in Gdańsk and is now displayed at the National Museum.
