Manchester University Press
3 Who speaks for Poland?
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Tomasz Grusiecki
Abstract
Chapter 3 focuses specifically on the ambassadorial entries of Jerzy Ossoliński into Rome (1633) and Łukasz Opaliński into Paris (1645), framing them as performances in which the idea of Poland Lithuania had to be pinned down and manifested in material and visual terms, particularly through the flamboyant display of costume. These two events are no random choice of materials for study. Indeed, they generated a profusion of textual and visual representations that circulated across Europe, propagating the notion of Poland Lithuania as a mighty military power, victorious against the Turks and committed to the defence of Christendom. Simultaneously, however, European commentators pointed to the Ottoman overtones of Polish costume, comparisons that would later be used by modern historians to support interpretations of early modern Polish culture as a unique, quasi-Oriental formation, on the whole distinct from the rest (i.e., the West) of Europe. Albeit an attentive study of primary sources, this chapter does not undertake the antiquarian scrutiny of lesser-known material but rather examines critically the visual, material, and textual expressions embraced by Polish ambassadors as they embodied their monarch’s realm. The aim is to redress the validity of ‘Orientalism’ as an analytical model for studying the transcultural aspects of early modern Polish culture.
Abstract
Chapter 3 focuses specifically on the ambassadorial entries of Jerzy Ossoliński into Rome (1633) and Łukasz Opaliński into Paris (1645), framing them as performances in which the idea of Poland Lithuania had to be pinned down and manifested in material and visual terms, particularly through the flamboyant display of costume. These two events are no random choice of materials for study. Indeed, they generated a profusion of textual and visual representations that circulated across Europe, propagating the notion of Poland Lithuania as a mighty military power, victorious against the Turks and committed to the defence of Christendom. Simultaneously, however, European commentators pointed to the Ottoman overtones of Polish costume, comparisons that would later be used by modern historians to support interpretations of early modern Polish culture as a unique, quasi-Oriental formation, on the whole distinct from the rest (i.e., the West) of Europe. Albeit an attentive study of primary sources, this chapter does not undertake the antiquarian scrutiny of lesser-known material but rather examines critically the visual, material, and textual expressions embraced by Polish ambassadors as they embodied their monarch’s realm. The aim is to redress the validity of ‘Orientalism’ as an analytical model for studying the transcultural aspects of early modern Polish culture.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures viii
- Acknowledgements xiii
- A note on names xv
- Map xviii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Where is Sarmatia? 30
- 2 How do you dress like a Pole? 57
- 3 Who speaks for Poland? 101
- 4 Where do Polish carpets come from? 147
- Epilogue 194
- Bibliography 203
- Index 237
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures viii
- Acknowledgements xiii
- A note on names xv
- Map xviii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Where is Sarmatia? 30
- 2 How do you dress like a Pole? 57
- 3 Who speaks for Poland? 101
- 4 Where do Polish carpets come from? 147
- Epilogue 194
- Bibliography 203
- Index 237
