Władysław BAKAŁOWICZ (1833-1903), Louis XIII and Anne of Austria

oil, canvas; 70 x 100 cm;
Signed p.d.: LBakalowicz / Paris

Wladyslaw Bakalowicz painted historical scenes, court scenes and in the fete galante type. The subject matter of his canvases often concerned the French court. He also portrayed ladies in elegant shimmering or satin gowns, seated in almost palace-like interiors, full of pomp and splendor.
The painter received his artistic education at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts, and then - in 1863 - settled in Paris. In 1879 he was naturalized in France, at which time he changed his name in the Latin notation Ladislaus, which was reflected in the signatures: LBakalovich.
Bakalovich's paintings were popular in Parisian upper-class circles. He regularly exhibited his paintings at the Paris Salons from 1865 to 1883, and his canvases of historical subjects related to France of the 16th and 17th centuries were especially appreciated.
Among the painter's works one can also find works documenting not only actual events, but also commenting on court gossip. One such ambiguous work is the offered painting "Louis XIII and Anne of Austria Accept the Letters of Credence of the Lord Duke of Buckingham as 1st Ambassador." It undoubtedly depicts a momentous event, when Lord Buckingham presents the letter in front of the most important figures of the monarchy, including Cardinal Armand Jean Richelieu, standing with dignity on the left hand of the French king. At the same time, it may foil rumors about the intimacy of the relationship that may have connected the lord with Anne of Austria. An analogous composition, with the same theme, was reproduced in the magazine "World" in 1888 by Stanislaw Bizanski (No. 7, p. 321).