| Rejtan, or the Fall of Poland | |
|---|---|
| Polish: Rejtan – upadek Polski | |
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| Artist | Jan Matejko |
| Year | 1866 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 282 cm × 487 cm (111 in × 192 in) |
| Location | Royal Castle in Warsaw |
Rejtan, or the Fall of Poland (Polish: Rejtan. Upadek Polski) is an oil painting by the Polish artist Jan Matejko, finished in 1866, depicting the protest of Tadeusz Rejtan (lower right) against the First Partition of Poland during the Partition Sejm of 1773. Tadeusz Rejtan was a member of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth's Sejm, known for his opposition to the First Partition of Poland in 1773 by physically trying to prevent delegates from leaving the chamber to stop the ratification of the partition. The Sejm was heavily influenced by foreign powers, with delegates being bribed or threatened, while Russia, Prussia, and Austria justified their annexation of Polish territory as a response to the internal conflicts of the Bar Confederation.
Jan Matejko's composition depicts the scene in the manner of academic history painting, placing Rejtan in a central position with a dramatic gesture, surrounded by figures who appear complicit with the foreign demands, including members of the future Targowica Confederation and Russian ambassador Nicholas Repnin. Despite causing controversy and receiving mixed reviews at the time of its initial display to the public in 1866, Matejko's work was later recognized for its cultural significance in Poland, depicting themes of political resistance and critique. Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria subsequently acquired the painting, which was displayed in Vienna until 1920.
The Polish government bought the work in 1920, and since 1931, except for a brief period during World War II when it was looted by the Nazis, it has been on public display at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. Both a depiction of a historical moment, and an allegory for the surrounding period of Polish history, the painting is one of Matejko's most famous works, and an iconic representation of an emotional protest.[1][2]