Artwork
Portrait of Count Rzewuski, Polish Ambassador to Denmark

Portrait of Count Rzewuski, Polish Ambassador to Denmark is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Christian August Lorentzen. It dates from 1795 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1789 by Christian August Lorentzen, the work exemplifies the neoclassical style prevalent in Northern Europe during the late Enlightenment.
The painting shows Adam Wawrzyniec Rzewuski, who served as the Polish ambassador to Denmark. He is depicted in formal 18th‑century attire that underscores his diplomatic rank and the cultural exchange between Poland and Denmark at the time. The portrait’s composition, with a restrained background and direct gaze, conveys both the subject’s authority and a sense of personal dignity.
Created in 1789 by Christian August Lorentzen, the work exemplifies the neoclassical style prevalent in Northern Europe during the late Enlightenment.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 81 by 57.5 centimeters. It portrays Adam Wawrzyniec Rzewuski, depicted as the Polish ambassador to Denmark, and exemplifies the formal conventions of late 18th-century European portraiture through its restrained palette, precise rendering of attire, and controlled brushwork that emphasizes clarity of line and compositional balance.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1789 as a portrait of Adam Wawrzyniec Rzewuski, who served as Polish Ambassador to Denmark. It was commissioned to depict the diplomat and was executed in oil on canvas, measuring 81 by 57.5 cm.
The work entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display.
Christian August Lorentzen is identified as the artist responsible for its creation.
Portrait of Count Rzewuski, Polish Ambassador to Denmark is an oil on canvas painting created in 1789. It measures 81 cm in height and 57.5 cm in width. The work is part of the collection at Statens Museum for Kunst and has been exhibited there.
The portrait depicts Adam Wawrzyniec Rzewuski, who served as Polish Ambassador to Denmark. It was painted by Christian August Lorentzen and entered the museum's collection shortly after its creation.
Overview
Christian August Lorentzen’s 1795 oil portrait presents Adam Wawrzyniec Rzewuski, then serving as Poland’s ambassador to Denmark. The work, now in the Statens Museum for Kunst, captures the diplomat in a formal stance, his figure illuminated against a subdued interior that includes a smoky fireplace and a distant, cloud‑filled landscape visible through a window.
Context
The painting belongs to a broader tradition of late‑18th‑century portraiture that celebrated state officials and foreign envoys. Lorentzen, known for his depictions of military and aristocratic subjects, employed a restrained yet authoritative visual language that aligned with contemporary expectations for representing power and international diplomacy.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Christian August Lorentzen (1749–1828) was an artist, born in Sønderborg.

















