Published: 20250612
The Palace of the Grand Dukes presents one of the most renowned painters of the Baroque era in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth – Szymon Czechowicz (1689–1775). Born in Poland and trained in painting in Italy, Czechowicz became famous as a creator of religious art and was invited to paint in Poland, Lithuania, and cities in present-day Ukraine and Belarus, which at the time belonged to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Today, each country preserves the surviving works of this master as part of their artistic golden treasury.
The international exhibition "Szymon Czechowicz. Baroque Master in Pidhirtsi" showcases works by the artist that once belonged to the art collections of Pidhirtsi Palace (Ukraine). These paintings adorned the representative and residential spaces of Pidhirtsi for centuries. However, the depicted themes and motifs are also closely related to Czechowicz’s artistic work in Vilnius.
Exhibition curator Ignas Račickas says: “This master of religious art, along with Franciszek Smuglewicz, was one of the most prominent 18th-century painters of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. To get to know Czechowicz is to get to know Lithuania’s cultural heritage. I encourage visitors to explore the exhibition and then continue discovering Czechowicz’s paintings in Vilnius Old Town, where several of his works have survived.”
A Baroque-era painter and teacher who nurtured a generation of artists
In his youth, Czechowicz was supported by the future Polish treasurer, Prince Franciszek Maksymilian Ossoliński. Around 1710, this nobleman sent Czechowicz to study in Rome, Italy. There, the young artist was deeply influenced by the works of famous painters Carlo Maratta and Sebastiano Conca. He was also inspired by the works of earlier Renaissance and Baroque geniuses such as Raphael and Guido Reni. Czechowicz became a well-known painter in Rome and began creating religious-themed works, especially scenes from the lives of saints. This theme remained central to his work throughout his life.
It is unknown exactly when Czechowicz returned from Italy, but by the 1730s he was active in Warsaw. Around 1736–1737, his main patrons became the Lithuanian noble family of the Sapiehas. Later, this popular artist, who often changed patrons, worked for the noble families of Tarło, Branicki, Tyszkiewicz, Jablonowski, Sanguszko, among others, as well as for bishops and religious orders. Around 1747–1749, Czechowicz established ties with Count Wacław Piotr Rzewuski, the owner of Pidhirtsi, for whom he created a monumental cycle of Stations of the Cross paintings. In the early 1750s, he worked in Lublin and Poznań.
In the mid-18th century, after fires devastated the capital of Lithuania, many churches were rebuilt in the late Baroque style. Czechowicz was invited to paint works for the churches of St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Raphael, St. Casimir, as well as Dominican, Visitationist, and Augustinian churches. He also painted for churches in other Lithuanian cities. Among all his works in Vilnius, the altarpieces for St. Catherine’s Church stand out for their expressive brushwork, vivid colors, and complex multi-figure compositions. Some of these works later served as inspiration for paintings he created in Pidhirtsi.
Czechowicz’s work at the Pidhirtsi residence
The exhibition dedicated to Czechowicz is a continuation of another exhibition currently running at the Palace of the Grand Dukes – “Pidhirtsi Palace: History and Art Collections.” Both exhibitions feature artworks from the Pidhirtsi Palace. The Czechowicz exhibit presents sixteen works by the artist and his workshop, representing the most valuable period of his artistic output and his inclination toward religious themes.
The painter worked in Pidhirtsi with his students from 1762 to 1767. There, he painted the new Church of St. Joseph, created smaller-format canvases for the palace interiors (especially for the apartments of Wacław Piotr Rzewuski) and its chapel. Some sketches of Czechowicz’s altarpieces for St. Catherine’s Church in Vilnius also appeared in Pidhirtsi. After leaving Rzewuski’s patronage, the artist returned to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: from 1767 to 1769, he worked at the Jesuit monastery in Polotsk, creating over forty religious paintings. He also painted for the Jesuits in Vitebsk. Unfortunately, most of the works from the Polotsk period were almost entirely destroyed during the Soviet era. In the 1770s, the master returned to live in Warsaw, where, due to his advanced age, he painted less and delegated more work to his students.
The international exhibition “Szymon Czechowicz. Baroque Master in Pidhirtsi” is the result of long-term collaboration between the National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, the Lviv National Art Gallery named after Borys Voznytsky, and the Lviv Historical Museum.
Exhibition curators and coordinators: Halyna Skoropadova, Mykhaylo Kobryn, Viktor Kushnirenko, Marijus Uzorka, Dr. Živilė Mikailienė, Ignas Račickas, Gabija Tubelevičiūtė. Exhibition consultants: Prof. habil. Dr. Jan K. Ostrowski, Jerzy T. Petrus, Prof. habil. Dr. Andrzej Betlej.
On the exhibition’s opening evening, June 12 at 18:00, professor, art and church historian, and diplomat Dr. Irena Vaišvilaitė will give a lecture titled: “Szymon Czechowicz and the Roman School of Painting in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.”
