Nieznany portret Kazimierza Małachowskiego w mundurze pułkownika Księstwa Warszawskiego w zbiorach Muzeum Okręgowego Ziemi Kaliskiej
Unknown Portrait of Kazimierz Małachowski in the Uniform of a Colonel of the Duchy of Warsaw in the Collection of the Kalisz District Museum

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents a proposal for the new identification of a man portrayed in a military uniform from the period of Duchy of Warsaw. This portrait was purchased for the collection of what was then Museum of the Kalisz Area (Muzeum Ziemi Kaliskiej) in December 1968 as an image of Jan Szczepkowski, a second lieutenant associated with the Kalisz Cadet Corps. However, the identity of the person portrayed has not been verified and the painting has never before been the subject of interest to researchers. In 2020–2021, an analysis of the details of the uniforms, distinctions was conducted in order to attempt to establish the military formation of the portrayed person. This was done based, inter alia, on comparative studies of known iconographic sources and regulations concerning military clothing of the time. Consultations with Przemysław Dunaj, an expert on ‘colours and arms’ and co-author of specialist publications, proved to be an important aid. It was determined that the person portrayed was wearing the uniform of the 1st Infantry Regiment of the Duchy of Warsaw, according to the regulations that were in force between 1807 and 1810. These and other indications allowed for the more precise dating of the painting to the years 1808–1809 and for establishing the identity of the person as Colonel Kazimierz Małachowski, later general and participant in the November Rising.

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