La famille Jabłonowski à Versailles au xviiie siècle : impressions et inspirations

Abstract

The aim of the essay is to examine the attitudes of Polish aristocrats towards Versailles, from their impressions upon discovering the place to the way they appropriated it in their daily lives and the functioning of their residences in Poland. Special attention is paid to the stays of Józef Aleksander Jabłonowski, who visited Versailles several times (1729–30, 1748, 1756, 1763). He belonged to a Polish family whose representatives cultivated the tradition of educational travel in Europe, i.e. the Grand Tour. During his visits to Versailles, Jabłonowski willingly wrote about his impressions, but not about the palace itself. It seems that he was using Versailles to magnify his own image on the political and social scene in Poland. His stays at Versailles and his proximity to the royal family (he was a cousin of Queen Marie Leszczyńska) gave him a certain prestige and reinforced his position among the representatives of the European elite. It also turns out that it is very difficult to detect a direct influence of Versailles on formal ceremonies at Jabłonowski’s residences, especially in Lachowice. The available sources do not permit clear conclusions to be drawn.

Keywords

• Jabłonowski (family)
• Jabłonowski (Józef Aleksander)
• French-Polish relations
• Grand Tour
• Lachowice