The Bedchamber

Few works of art from the original furnishings of this room have been preserved. These include the portraits of Stanisław August’s parents – hanging in the overdoor (supraporta): Portrait of Konstancja Czartoryska and the Castellan of Cracow Stanisław Poniatowski, painted by Marcello Bacciarelli. On the opposite side hang the Music Allegory and the Poetry Allegory paintings, which were brought here in the 20th century to replace the lost portraits of Saint Magdalene and Saint Cecilia. In addition, the Royal Bedchamber houses the sculpture of the Bacchante Holding a Cluster of Grapes – an 18th century copy of the Ancient model. In the time of Stanisław August, the second statue – Leda and the Swan – was displayed in a different garden pavilion – the Turkish House. This work of art is also an 18th century copy of an Ancient sculpture. Another interesting painting is the Portrait of Stanisław August in a Blue Bed Robe, painted by a remarkable artist, Giovanni Battista Lampi. It is an exceptional depiction in the European art, as it shows the King in a private outfit, without the insignia of power. In the 18th century, a bed robe was an elegant, although domestic attire – appropriate for working, studying, and receiving guests. It was most likely in this outfit that the King would walk around the first floor apartments of the Palace on the Isle.

The walls of the room are lined with the same fabric as the bed and the armchairs, reflecting the French trends of the period. The bed, which currently stands in the apartment, was not part of the original design. The bed on which Stanisław August would sleep had a semi-circular canopy, and above the bed hung a mirror.