Title: "No. 125 The 16th Century. Lithuanian with mace and shield, and Rus with bow and sajdak. (Drawing taken from an engraving found in the collection of Cesare Vecelli)."
Author: Ludwik Frick according to Juliusz Kossak
Item description:
Notes: Clipping. A rather rare engraving. Figure without article - the figure was not accompanied by text in the issue.
Figure from an extensive series by Juliusz Kossak titled. "Dawne ubiory i uzbrojenia" published in: "Tygodnik Ilustrowany" (hereinafter TI) 1862-1866 with the numbering of figures 1-130 actually counting 104 items.
The series, arranged chronologically (from the 10th to the 17th century), was based on the artist's drawings subsequently presented in woodcut engravings, which were made on the basis of surviving historical memorabilia mainly in the form of sculptures from churches and iconography from old illustrated manuscripts and old prints from private as well as public collections. The titles give a description of the object and the origin where the design was taken from.
The series began in TI in No. 122, 25.01.1862 pp. 36 with a short anonymous introduction (the only text, other engravings without texts except the title), continued with sometimes long breaks until no. 368 of 13.10.1866 p. 169 Continued to No. 63 in: TI No. 208 of 19.09.1863. then omitted No. 64 up to and including No. 93 and continued from No. 94 in: TI 212 of 17.10.1863.The last engraving in the series No. 130 in: TI no. 368 of 13.10.1866 pp. 169 (the cycle did not have a text ending this cycle). Errors in numbering: item 106 (there is item 105 twice, item 106 was omitted), there are two different engravings each under 121, 122 and 123, errors in the order of the engravings. In the cycle on cards from 1 to 5 engravings, usually one, all in woodcut engraving, compositions in various formats from ca 100x70 mm to ca 170x135 mm.
Bibliography: Grajewski 1972 item 6832 omits missing No. 64-93 and ends the series at No. 129 (omits No. 130), but erroneously adds an illustration in print in 1909 - there is no such illustration in this yearbook! In addition, numerous errors in giving the numbering of illustrations or the page range of the entire cycle. Completely arbitrarily and erroneously assigns to the cycle 3 illustrations in the 1st half of 1861 TI p. 144, p. 157 and p. 177 (clearly they do not belong to the cycle). Entire description in item 6832 with numerous errors.
All engravings rare or quite rare. In set (104 engravings) high rarity.
Literature: Kazimierz Olszański: Juliusz Kossak. Wrocław [etc.]: Zakład Narodowy imienia Ossolińskich. Publishing House, 1988 pp. 39 (Olszanski 1988), among other things, confirms the number of 104 engravings in the series and describes the series as: "This excellent collection of historical costumes should be known and owned by every Polish painter," proves Kossak's "methodical studies of the history of Polish culture," and was more highly regarded in the era than Jan Matejko's "Ubiory w Polsce." As can be assumed, the lack of a book edition of the series was the reason for little later knowledge of the series and a kind of oblivion. Few watercolors by J. Kossak for this cycle are known, and it can also be assumed that numerous engravings of this cycle may have been created based on drawings directly on the woodcut plate (see SAP vol. 4 p. 137). Olszanski 1988 presents only sample engravings from this series as reproductions from TI (items 179-189). Biograms of the artist in PSB vol. 14 pp. 244-246 and SAP vol. 4 ss. 134-141 do not bring new information as to this cycle
About the author: Ludwik Frick (Fryk) Warsaw wood engraver active in 1863-1868, rithing for "Tygodnik Ilustrowany"; see SAP vol. 2 s. 249, Rudniewska (Dictionary) p. 44 (more extensively)
Literature: Grajewski 1972 item 6832 (generally)
Additional information:
Condition of Preservation:
Item in very nice condition
Grading of state of preservation:
- perfect condition: (6) no defects, no signs of use, like new
- very nice: almost perfect condition (+5), very slight defects, almost like new (unused)
- nice: very good condition (5), very slight, basically insignificant defects
- quite nice: condition - very good (-5), insignificant, insignificant defects
- more than good: condition between very good and good (4/5), quite insignificant, not very significant defects
- at least good: condition at least good (+4), not very significant defects
- good: condition of good (4), fairly significant defects
- less than good: condition -good (-4), significant defects
- more than sufficient: condition between good and sufficient (3/4), very significant defects
- at least sufficient: condition at least sufficient (+3), fairly poor condition, extremely significant defects, almost destructive
- Sufficient: sufficient condition (3), poor condition, major defects in the card, basically destruct
The evaluation of the state of preservation and some other elements of the description have some characteristics of subjectivity, but we make them with our best knowledge and the greatest possible reliability, if in doubt, please refer to the scan of the object or contact us.
