Oil on cardboard; dimensions: 69.5 x 52 cm; signed lower right: "Szmyt."
The scene depicted most likely refers to Napoleon Bonaparte’s stay in Poznań in 1806, during the campaign against Prussia. The emperor arrived in the city on November 27 and remained there until December 16, making Poznań an important command center for military operations. Napoleon’s entry into Poznań was a ceremonial occasion and was met with an enthusiastic welcome from the residents.
Kazimierz Szmyt (1860–1941) —a painter associated with the Poznań art scene. He began exhibiting his works in 1903, was a member of the Poznań Society of Friends of the Fine Arts, and, from 1909, of the Artists’ Association; beginning in 1910, he also exhibited his works at the “Zachęta” in Warsaw. He primarily created portraits, atmospheric landscapes, and genre scenes, often depicting motifs from the Tatra Mountains and highlanders.
