Twardowski Conjuring Up the Spirit of Barbara Before Sigismund Augustus

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Twardowski Conjuring Up the Spirit of Barbara Before Sigismund Augustus is a sketch for an unrealized painting by Jan Matejko. Created in 1884 on a 26 × 40 cm board, signed JM, it was made in the Krzesławice manor and sent to Kraków on October 9, 1884. It is one of four detailed historical sketches by Matejko, the others being Kordecki on the walls of Częstochowa begging for divine help, Bolesław Chrobry at the Golden Gate in Kiev, and Bishop Krasiński at the death of Sigismund August. The work belongs to the National Museum in Warsaw.

The legend behind the scene says that Sigismund August deeply loved his wife, Barbara Radziwiłłówna. After her sudden death, the grieving king wished to see her spirit again. A sorcerer named Twardowski offered to summon her. He warned the king not to leave his chair during the ritual. When the ceremony began, Barbara’s figure emerged from a mirror amid smoky light. Sigismund, overwhelmed with longing, wanted to fall before her and embrace her, but Twardowski held him in his seat to keep him from acting impulsively.

There are varied versions of how Barbara’s spirit appeared. Some say it came through a magical lantern known as Twardowski’s Lantern. Another version (Roman Bugaj) suggests a deception: Barbara Giżanka, a current favorite of the king who resembled the deceased Barbara, was substituted with the help of Mikołaj Mniszech. The tale often mentions catoptromancy, a mirror-based divination, and the supposedly devilish nature of the ritual. The mirror device was described as German-made from silver, zinc, antimony, and tin (with some sources calling it a gold-silver alloy), framed in black with a Latin inscription.

Matejko’s painting presents his own interpretation of the legendary event—the summoning of Barbara Radziwiłłówna at the king’s request. The scene takes place in a dark castle chamber lit by two candles. In the center sits Sigismund August, with Barbara appearing to the left by the window. Twardowski stands to the right, casting a spell with his raised hand while watching the mirror that reflects Barbara’s silhouette. He holds an open book in his left hand, and incense burns at his feet beside a skull. Behind the king’s chair stands his courtier, full of fear and curiosity. The work reflects Matejko’s view of Polish history and his effort to shape Polish art.