Gallery VII

Portrait of Maciej Radziwiłł (1749-1800)

Józef Peszka (1767-1831)

18th century.

The collection of Maciej Radziwiłł

Maciej Radziwiłł was born in Warsaw in 1749. He was the son of Leon Michał Radziwiłł and Anna Luiza Mycielska.

Composer and author of opera librettos.

Castellan of Vilnius (1790-1795), Grand Chamberlain of Lithuania from 1786. Member of the Assembly of Friends of the Government Constitution and the Targowica Confederation.

He reached the peak of his popularity during the war of 1792 in defence of the Constitution of 3 May. Together with Dominik Radziwiłł (for whom he was a legal guardian), he gave the Lithuanian army the command of all castles and arsenals he had at his disposal, along with the militia he had paid for. For this deed, he was thanked at the parliamentary session of 25 May 1792.

The victory of the Targowica Confederation weakened Maciej's position and he lost custody of Dominik.

In 1788, he received the Order of the White Eagle and the Order of St Stanislaus.

He died in 1800 in Dobrut. In accordance with his will, he was buried in Szydłowiec.