Krasiński Palace

Palace of the Commonwealth Pałac Krasińskich (Polish)
Krasiński Palace, view from the gardens
General information
Architectural style	Baroque
Town or city	Warsaw
Country	Poland
Construction started	1677
Completed	1683
Demolished	1944
Client	Jan Dobrogost Krasiński
Design and construction
Architect	Tylman Gamerski

The Krasiński Palace (Polish: Pałac Krasińskich, otherwise known as Palace of the Commonwealth — Pałac Rzeczypospolitej), is a baroque palace in Warsaw, Poland. It is located on Krasiński Square (Plac Krasińskich).

The palace was built in 1677–83 for the Voivode of Płock, Jan Dobrogost Krasiński, according to design by Tylman Gamerski. It was decorated with pediment reliefs showing the triumph of the legendary "ancestor" of the Ślepowron and Korwin Polish clans, the Roman commander Manius Valerius Maximus Corvinus Messalla (263 BC) and sculptural work, all by Andreas Schlüter. Jan Dobrogast Krasinski was a Warsaw starost, crown ‘referendarz’ (a royal clerk) and Plock voivode (Plock provincial governor). He was a descendant of an old Mazovia sentors’ family, the minister’s son and the heir to a large fortune. After his father’s death he wished to have a magnificent residence in the capital city which was to fulfill his excessive political ambitions that, however, had not been fulfilled and to show his enormous pride in his family, which made him cultivate and develop a 16th-century legend about the antique origin and alleged royal connections of his family. Mr Krasinki knew the French culture, and he was clearly interested in art so that this building was created by the most outstanding artists staying in Poland on his order. He kept a detailed accountancy book from which we can learn about the course of the works on the building. The whole idea was realized according to the design of the great architect Tylman from Gameren. He was of Dutch origin, educated in Italy, and he was brought to Poland by the Lubomirski family. He made a large number of various designs for Lubomirski Family, the Royal Family, the representatives of different noblemen and gentry families as well as for the Church and Orders. Some Warsaw architects were also employed to build the palace as building contractors or as suppliers of materials or to control the master craftsmen, bricklayers or artisans. These people were Joseph Bellotti, Jacob Solari, Izydor Affaita and Maderni. The main role in decorating the palace was played by a Gdansk sculptor, Andrew Schluter, who had cooperated with Tylman before. The first floor porte-fenêtre (vertical French door/window) was crowned with a cartouche supported by two angels bearing the founder's monogram JK. It had many baroque decorations inside. The frescoes were made by Jan III Sobieski's court painter Michelangelo Palloni. Among his notable works in the palace, most worth mentioning are the plafond and frescoes in the supraportes (the space between the portal and ceiling, usually richly decorated) of the palace's vestibule. Moulding which remain in vestibule and partly in the stairwell, also the heads of pilasters or festoons on external elevations made of stucco as well as the armorial cartouche of the façade from the garden side were made by unknown artists under the watchful eye of said architect as well as under supervision of the stuccoer Joseph Belloti. The paintings in the vestibule not existing anymore, mainly the plafond and some fragments of murals in supra porta that remained after the last war were painted by Michael Palloni. The interiors were partially finished in 1699. Other paintings by Albrecht Dürer, Antonio da Correggio, Rembrandt and Peter Paul Rubens are no longer present.