The Jagiellonian dynasty, reigning from the late 14th to early 16th centuries, played a key role in the history of Poland and Central Europe. Despite their importance, previous ideas about the appearance of these rulers have been based mainly on artistic interpretations, often deviating from reality. The “New Pictorial guide to the Jagiellons” project aims to present scientifically sound reconstructions of their images, based on available historical sources. 

Alexander Jagiellon 

 The lack of authentic portraits of rulers from the Jagiellonian era posed a significant challenge for researchers. Unlike in Western Europe, where the tradition of portraying monarchs dates back to the 13th century, in Poland the custom appeared much later. As a result, our ideas about the appearance of the Jagiellons were often shaped by the works of artists such as Jan Matejko, who, lacking original models, relied on his own imagination or the portraits of his contemporaries. According to Dr. Bożena Czwojdrak of the University of Silesia, often not knowing what particular rulers looked like, Matejko largely portrayed his acquaintances and family.  

Methodology of reconstruction 

In order to recreate the appearance of the Jagiellons as closely as possible, a team of experts conducted detailed analyses of available historical sources, descriptions and artifacts. The compatibility of the images with the sources was supervised by Dr. Bożena Czwojdrak, a recognized researcher of the Jagiellonian era. The illustrations were made by Marcin Bondarowicz, an artist specializing in drawing and graphic design, who emphasizes that the work on the new image of Ladislaus Jagiello consisted of drawing individual parts of the face in stages, which were then combined to create the final portrait. 

As part of the project, images of key figures of the dynasty were recreated, such as Ladislaus II Jagiello, Jadwiga of Poland, Ladislaus III of Varna, Casimir IV Jagiellon, John I Albert, Alexander I Jagiellon, Sigismund I the Old, Bona Sforza, Sigismund II Augustus and Anna Jagiellon. Particular attention was paid to the figure of Queen Jadwiga, whose traditional image, shaped by the works of Matejko, depicts her as a dignified matron. Meanwhile, according to historical analyses, she was a young woman with fair hair. 

Importance of the project for education and culture 

The “New Pictorial guide to the Jagiellons” is not only an attempt to reconstruct images of ancient rulers, but also an important educational project. Publications in the magazine “National Geographic Poland” and on the website national-geographic.pl systematically present successive figures from the dynasty, enriched with articles and educational materials. The aim is to bring the public closer to this remarkable era and to draw attention to the importance of reliable historical research in shaping our knowledge of the past. 

Sources: wirtualnemedia, dzieje.pl, gazeta.pl, national-geographic.pl / Photos: fot. Jakub Rybski RMF FM / On the cover: Ladislaus Jagiello