Dimensions: 154.4 × 113 cm
Signed p.d.: 'AS'.
purchase, 1948
inv. no. MP 268 MNW
Adoption period: 1 year
Biography
The painting depicts uncle brothers Adam (1822-1872) and Alfred Potocki (1822-1889) at the age of ten. The boys grew up together in the castle in Lancut. In the painting they are close to each other and dressed in identical clothes. The background is the Grand Dining Room of the Łańcut mansion, where an easel has been set up with a portrait of Alfred's two older sisters: Julia and Sophie Potocki. Using the "picture-in-picture" motif, the artist created a tender family image. Alfred looks at his sister Julia depicted in the portrait, who "reciprocates" his gaze. Adam, meanwhile, embraces his brother with one hand and holds the other to the frame of the painting, emphasizing the bond between the siblings.
In this painting, the painter used precise drawing and dispensed with strong chiaroscuro. He used harmonious colors and a smooth texture of the painting surface.
Belonging to the circle of the Cracow School of Fine Arts, Wojciech Korneli Stattler was the author of religious, historical and idealized portraits.
