Jan Matejko (adopted) (1838-1893), Hanging of the Sigismund Bell on the Tower of the Cathedral in Cracow in 1521 (The Sigismund Bell), 1874

Biography
After the defeat of the January Uprising, Jan Matejko created a number of paintings that depicted the splendor of the old Republic. The artist had a special fondness for the Renaissance era, and saw the Sigismund Bell, resounding from Wawel Cathedral, as a symbol of those times. Its sound accompanied momentous events in the life of the nation for centuries, including during the period of captivity. The scene depicted in the painting of the extraction from its mold and the consecration of the bell founded by King Sigismund I the Old takes place at the foot of the now defunct Vistula Gate in Krakow. In the background are the outlines of Wawel Castle and Cathedral. It is attended by the king, who stands on a podium under a canopy, Queen Bona with her children Isabella and Sigismund Augustus, and state dignitaries, including the governor of Cracow Piotr Kmita (in a green robe). Sitting on the steps of the podium is the royal jester Stańczyk. The later bishop of Cracow Jan Chojeński performs the act of consecrating the bell; next to him stands the bishop of Poznan Jan Lubrański. On the right, the action of extracting the bell from its mold is led by its creator, Nuremberg bellmaker Hans Beham. The work of the workers is watched by the royal lutenist Valentin Bakfark. Just in front of him can be seen the sculptor and royal architect Bartolomeo Berrecci (with a scroll in his hand). The heightened expression in the shot of a group of workers, effortlessly pulling ropes, contrasts with the hieratic calm of the dignitaries watching them work.

The solemn character of the depicted scene is emphasized by the color scheme of the painting, sparkling with rich colors, reflecting the dazzling splendor of the court costumes. The presence among the participants of the ceremony of artists (Bakfark, Berrecci), prominent humanists (Lubrański), lovers and patrons of art and science (Kmita, Chojeński, the aforementioned Lubrański) testifies to the flourishing of Polish culture during the Renaissance.

"The Bell of Sigismund" is one of those works, Jan Matejko is one of those works of the artist, which are not only an illustration of a historical event, but at the same time an apotheosis of the state and the nation - the collective, which experienced a golden age under the Jagiellonians.