KGHM - a patron of the Royal Castle collection

The KGHM Foundation is one of the funders of Canaletto’s painting titled “Equestrian Portrait of Page Gintowt,” which will enrich the collection of the works by this outstanding artist at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. The Foundation donated nearly PLN 700,000 for this purpose.

The painting by Bernardo Bellotto, known as Canaletto, is a part of a series of four equestrian portraits that King Stanisław August commissioned from the artist in 1773. The three remaining paintings from the series are currently kept in the museum’s collection. The place of storage of the “Equestrian Portrait of Page Gintowt” was unknown for a long time.

“We would like to thank our sponsors and donors. State-owned companies have in recent years become strongly involved in the support for our institutions. For this, I would like to thank the Prime Minister, the politicians overseeing the state-owned companies, and the companies’ management boards. The companies are aware that besides providing support and buying gifts, it is important to advertise these gifts and strive to improve their image, because this is a part of education and reaching out to mass and popular culture with the most important and valuable things and things that should always be a priority,” said Piotr Gliński, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and National Heritage, during the ceremony.

Jacek Sasin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Assets, which oversees state-owned companies, said: “Moments like this, when, after many centuries of losses, the Polish culture is restored and works are acquired for the royal collection, are very gratifying. As Minister of State Assets, I am particularly proud that state-owned companies today play the role of patrons of the arts, that they are headed by people who understand this and know that they must support Polish culture, and that this is one of the elements of their mission - corporate social responsibility. I would like to express my huge gratitude to the CEOs of the companies and the directors of the companies’ foundations for this understanding. This is great proof that today’s business leaders are also leaders of culture and the restoration of Polish collections. My thanks go to the CEO of KGHM, a company that is a patron of the Royal Castle and supports it in a systemic manner.”

Prof. Wojciech Falkowski, Director of the Royal Castle, added that the painting “Equestrian Portrait of Page Gintowt” was put up for auction in November this year and it was possible to buy it for the Castle's collection thanks to financial support from, among others, KGHM. “The involvement of state-owned companies is an invaluable help,” added Wojciech Falkowski.

The rider in the painting is wearing the uniform of a Polish officer and may be 23-year-old Celestyn Gintowt Dziewiałtowski, later the king’s adjutant general and lieutenant colonel of the royal army. All paintings in the series are exceptional genre paintings, which are rare among the works of this prominent European artist. They will be available to visitors of the Royal Castle starting in December.

The KGHM Foundation supports initiatives in four areas: culture and tradition, sports and recreation, science and education, and health and safety. It was established in 2003 as a natural continuation of the tradition of the long-standing pro-social activities of the Founder, KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. In the 19 years of its operation, the Foundation has supported more than 5,500 initiatives with the total amount of more than PLN 250 million.

“The goal of the Foundation is to take care of local identity or traditions, but also to appreciate those areas that are important to the residents of our country. We support hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools, as well as theaters and opera houses. We appreciate projects that have historical value and the purchase of works of art is just such an exceptional initiative,” added Helena Krupska, President of the KGHM Foundation.

KGHM is an active patron of sports, culture, and arts. For many years, it has participated in the organization or has assumed patronage of significant projects at the local, national, and international levels.

“On the 300th anniversary of Canaletto’s birth, his painting ‘Equestrian Portrait of Page Gintowt’ returned to the Royal Castle. The founder of the painting is the KGHM Foundation, which supported its purchase at an auction in Vienna in November. We remember our culture and constantly strengthen it,” said Tomasz Zdzikot, President of the Management Board of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A.

The copper industry leader is a sponsor of the Royal Castle in Warsaw and the Wrocław Opera House, among others. The company also provides support to the Museum of Goldsmithing Art in Kazimierz Dolny.