Artwork

Steel plate with inscription for the coffin portrait of Teresa Bojanowska née Sokolnica (1666–1700)

Steel plate with inscription for the coffin portrait of Teresa Bojanowska née Sokolnica (1666–1700) is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It dates from 1700 and is held in the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw. A steel plate, shaped to resemble a coffin, bears a lengthy Latin inscription commemorating Teresa Bojanowska, née Sokolnica (1666–1700).

About this work

Overview

A steel plate, shaped to resemble a coffin, bears a lengthy Latin inscription commemorating Teresa Bojanowska, née Sokolnica (1666–1700).

A steel plate, shaped to resemble a coffin, bears a lengthy Latin inscription commemorating Teresa Bojanowska, née Sokolnica (1666–1700). The plate features a gray field bordered by a dark outline, with the text rendered in a formal cursive hand. Designed as a funerary element, it was likely affixed to or placed near a coffin portrait, serving as a textual counterpart to visual memorials common in early modern Poland.

Subject & Meaning

The inscription honors Teresa Bojanowska, a noblewoman of the late 17th century, reflecting the cultural practice of memorializing aristocratic women through combined visual and textual tributes. The Latin text, though difficult to decipher in full, follows conventional funerary formulas—praising virtue, piety, and lineage—reinforcing social status and religious ideals of the time.

Technique & Style

The plate is crafted from steel, engraved with precise, flowing script typical of ecclesiastical and aristocratic inscriptions of the period. The gray background and black border create a somber, restrained aesthetic, directing focus to the text. The absence of imagery emphasizes the written word as the primary vehicle of commemoration, aligning with a minimalist tradition in Polish funerary art.

History & Provenance

The artifact originates from the late 17th century and was likely produced in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is now held by the National Museum in Warsaw, where it is preserved as part of a collection of coffin portraits and associated funerary objects. Its survival suggests it was valued as a significant relic of noble mourning practices.

Context

In early modern Poland, coffin portraits—painted likenesses placed on coffins—were accompanied by inscribed metal plates, often in Latin, to convey the deceased’s identity and moral character. This practice, rooted in Catholic traditions and noble self-representation, flourished among the szlachta. The plate reflects a broader cultural emphasis on memory, lineage, and the afterlife in aristocratic funerary rites.

Legacy

Though no longer part of active ritual, such plates are now studied as material witnesses to the intersection of art, religion, and social hierarchy in early modern Poland. Their preservation in institutions like the National Museum in Warsaw ensures their role in understanding how elite families constructed legacy through both image and text.