A big family of the Shawdouar barons had left such a prominent heritage in the social and cultural life if Zhytomyr, that the majority of the citizens know this surname. In 19-20-th centuries from this family came out lots of public and state figures, folk educators and patrons. The biggest part of the fortune of the family had been created by the generations by the successful and hard work and the impeccable service at the government posts. A branch of the family in Zhytomyr has seezed its existence after the establishment of the Soviet power. From that time a mystic fortune that could be hidden by the last representative of the family, don’t rest the seekers of the diamonds, exciting the imagination. But everything is much simpler…
The history of the family de Shawdouar started in the first half of the 18-th century, which was begun by Antoine de Shawdouar who had five children. The family was engaged in manufacturing and trade affairs, had workshops which made jewelry and valuable watches. The most income the manufacturers got when they started a lending activity. In some time the Shawdouars became the most rich landlords in Poland and Ukraine, became popular in financial and aristocratic circles of Europe and turned to be so successful, that in 1806,when the kingdom of Bavaria had been created, they supported financially and politically the first king Maximilian. Obviously, the help was so significant and important that in 1814 the king Maximilian had presented to Jan Shawdouar along with the posterity a gentry and a title of barons.
After moving to Volyn in 1827 they had gained a confirmation of the rights of the gentry and baron title in the Russian Empire. Reaching a high social status and the recognition in the society, the Shawdouars decided to open a gallery of the portraits of the family. Along with this decision one more event councided-a marriage of Stanislav Shawdouar, the grandson of Antoine.
So raised the question of a worthy performer of the plan. At that time in Europe was famous a family of artists- portraitists, a father and two sons Lampi, who came from Austria. The recognition of the artists and the prestige of their works was so high, that the majority of the rich people ordered only in these artists. It was a tribute to the fashion and the show off of the personal power and success, at that time when the art of an official portrait gained a special meaning- a portrait showed not just a real face, but an image and status. An artist Joghan Lampi the senior had mastered the first canons in painting at the workshop of his father, and later on started to work with his own paintbrush. He was improving his skills by painting the ceilings in churches and the rich houses in Italy and moved from town to town in search of job. In 1783 he came to Vienna, and got lots of orders and became a very popular painter. So that started his climbing to the top of fate: he painted a portrait of the emperor Josyp the second, and for that he got a title of academician and became a professor of the history of painting in the Academy of Arts. In 1788-1791 he painted the portraits of the well-known and the gentry in Warsaw. The Russian Empress Catherine the second invited Joghan Baptist to visit Saint-Petersboug. For her grand monumental portrait he gained 12000 rubles.
It was huge money! The customers of Lampi became the great princes Oleksandr and Constantine, the favorite of the empress Platon Zybov etc. His colleague artist, an Austrian artist Martin Schmidt, told that in Russia Joghan the senior gained 100 000 rubles. Lampi had the students who also became well known. The first that must be mentioned is Lampi’s son- his name was also Joghan, at the art circles he was known as Joghan Lampi the junior. In Saint-Petersboug Lampi-son worked with his father, was an assistant in the majority of the works and almost didn’t show himself as an independent author. Such a collaboration in some time has determined a special proximity in techniques and manners of both the artists- they are so much alike that even the experienced art critics cannot distinguish their artworks. The grand portraits which were created by father and son, were adored so much for the facial expressions, the gentry posture and perfectly depicted accessories. The contemporaries stated that there left noone near the emperor’s yard whom the famous artists didn’t paint. For the portrait of the professor, the art critic Ivan Akimov Lampi the junior was presented a title of the academician of the Russian Academy. And Lampi the senior became a professor and a member of the Council of the Academy of Arts in Vienna, a court artist of the emperor Franz the first.
Interestingly, that Lampi the senior and the sons was connected somehow to the emergence of lots of the painters, including Ukrainian artists: Volodumur Borovyk, who became Borovykovskyj during the times of the Russian Empire, and Taras Shevchenko. The future Lampi’s student Borovykovskyj, son of the Cossack sergeant, painted portraits and the church in the Murgorod Cossack regiment. In 1787 the Empress Catherine the second, during her way to Crimea, saw a painters work, praised it and invited him to visit Saint-Petersboug. In the North capital Borovykovskyj painted portraits, improved his skills and tried to enter the Academy of Arts. At that time he lived in a flat of an architect Mukola Lvov, a known leader of arts and educator, who had acquainted him with Lampi the senior and gave him good recommendations. In a short period of time Volodumur became indispensable in the workshop and a good assistant to Lampi the senior, gains experience and new knowledge, and they became friends. Lampi highly evaluated the talent of the Ukrainian, passed his knowledge to him of the special subtleties and the techniques in painting a portrait.
In 1795 by recommendation of Joghan Lampi the senior Borovykovskyj was accepted to the Academy of Arts. In seven years he became an academician and a well known portraitist in Europe. And the Ukrainian artist Taras Shevchenko was brought to fate with Lampi the junior- Franz Xavier. The first painting lessons Taras got during the stay in Vilno(now Vilnius). Franz Lampi did there orders for the rich and famous, among whom were Sophia Enghelgardt and her husband Pavlo Enghelgardt-a landowner to whom belonged a slave Shevchenko. Coming back to our story about Shawdouars,we have to admit that during that time a rich and energetic Stanislav Shawdouar travels all around the western countries, visits auctions,art exhibitions, becomes friends with the collectioners, Antique dealers and famous artists. Lots of his time a young Shawdouar spends in their workshops and improves his knowledge of arts. Due to the experience, intelligence, inner preferences and suggestions from the professional art critics,the collection of pieces of art of the family is enriched with the artworks, which are worth being in the most famous museums all around the world. The famous names of Van Duke, Lukas Cranach, Pierre Minniar, Titian, Rembrandt and many others are represented in the family collection of the Shawdouars. A special attachment Stanislav had to the creations of Lampi the junior, with whom he became friends in Saint-Petersbourgh. Shawdouar orders him a series of the picture and concludes a contract for painting the portraits of his family.
But life of the Shawdouars wasn’t so happy at that period of time. In 1817 in winter during her trip to Vienna, suddenly dies Stanislav’s nineteen year old wife Elloise in the town named Brody. A desperate husband creates in Ivnytsia estate a memorial, decorates it with the artistic stained glass and a stela made of white italian marble which was created by a famous sculptur Bertel Thorvaldsen, with whom Stanislav had great business and friendly relations which started in Rome.
Sometimes fate creates an embarrassing coincidence of circumstances. A lot older Bertel knew the young couple,and was depressed by the tragic event. For giving more similarity of the image of Elloise, he uses her portrait painted by Lampi the junior, whom he knew and valueted his talent of a portraitist. «Everything goes by,passes by-and there is no measure for it»- said the great Shevchenko, because people’s life can be different: happy,and not very, short or surprisingly long, the fate can be favourable or turn away from its beloved. The lives of all the participants of our story were different,and we must mention all of them. Lampi the senior fell into disfavor of a mad Emperor Pavlo the first and had to leave Petersburg. Before his leaving he had presented hus workshop to Volodumur Borovykovskyj. He came back to Vienna, gained a title of an honorary citizen of the city, where he had lived, worked and died at the age of 78. After Lampi’s leaving Borovykovskyj collaborated with Dmytro Levutskyj-a significant Ukrainian artist portraitist, who was said to be the best court painter. It is worth saying, that our fellow countrymen at that time were a part of the cultural elite of the Russian Empire. Borovykovskyj had lived a life full of interesting events, he enjoyed singing Ukrainian songs, but over time he became a hermit- lived alone, and died at the age of 67. Some literary scholars believe that Mukola Gogol had copied his blacksmith Vakyla from Mukola Borovyk-Borovykovskyj.
To tell about Taras Shevchenko- there is so many information about him that it even seems that his life and his creative activity was investigated to the details. However it is worth to add… In Vilno Lampi the senior painted a portrait of Sophia Enghelgardt and his student and assistant in work Shevchenko had helped him from the start till the end of this artwork, along with that he was gaining the secrets of the portrait painting. Sophia was supportive to Taras, took care of his education, helped as she could in his slavery. Not many of us know, that thanks to her he read a lot, listened to music, learned and spoke Polish, French languages, reciprocated Sophia, and some say, that he was in love with her.
Definitely Franz Lampi firstly opened for Taras the secrets of a female portrait- his influence is seen in the proceeding works of a dreamy student, who during all his life would always fall in love even behind the back. The portraits created by Shevchenko are light, elegant, and the women watch outside the canvas in a tender, sometimes mystic way. In the works we can feel a sentimentality and romanticism of the author. For someone who would be interested in Shevchenko and the «ancient women’s secrets», so you should read a book written by Volodumur Surotenko-Verbutsjyj «Unknown to you Taras Shevchenko and his friends» . I am sure, Shevchenko will become closer and more understandable.
But we should back to the Shawdouars. Stanislav Shawdouar had a wide circle of the scientific interests: for the research in the field of numismatics he got a Demydiv prize, at the age of 44 he was elected as a corresponding member of the Academy of Science. In the end of his life he was assigned to be a Head of the State Bank Office in Kyiv. He has died and buried in a family tomb of an estate in Ivnytsia. Its a pity, but a tomb was ruined by the marauders: in 1883 the robbers got into a tomb in search of jewelry. In 1914 in order to preserve the burials the last of the Shawdouars, Ivan Maximillianovych, had organised a reburial of the family in Zhytomyr, at the Lutheran cemetery. But even here during the Soviet power the Bolsheviks had spoiled the crypt, which by now stands forgotten and neglected. Though in a century, in 2019, thanks to the patriotic citizens of Zhytomyr, the nearby territory was cleaned up a little bit.
So speaking about a mysterious fortune of the Shawdouars which excites the imagination, so its worth to come up to Zhytomyr local history museum, to stand in a silence near the works created by Lampi and to think of the famous artists who are inseparably connected with Ukraine. That is a priceless treasure, which is available to everyone, who would like to see it.
I hope, you do not think that the history is the past…