Portraits of Ostafy Dashkovych

An Inquiry into Reality

Abstract

Purpose. The article explores the possibility of establishing a historical basis for the existing artistic representations of Ostafy Dashkovych, a prominent statesman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the first third of the 16th century.

Methods. The study of this topic employs both general and specialised scientific research methods. In particular, it is grounded in the principle of historicism and makes use of logical, chronological, and comparative approaches.

Results. The portrait image of Ostafy Dashkovych remains a subject of debate in modern scholarship. Both artists and historians have engaged with this topic. The most well-known and widely circulated depiction is the portrait by the Polish artist Jan Matejko, created in 1874. It was not until 2021 that two Ukrainian authors made new attempts to create an artistic representation of Dashkovych. A key issue remains the use of reliable historical sources in reconstructing his image. One such source is the painting The Battle of Orsha, possibly created during Dashkovych’s lifetime. This artwork is particularly significant, as there is reason to believe that Dashkovych participated in the battle and may be depicted alongside Prince Konstantin Ostrozhsky.

Conclusions. Reconstructing the image of Ostafy Dashkovych in artistic form is impossible without reference to 16th-century historical sources – particularly the written description of his appearance from 1529 and visual materials from the period, such as the painting The Battle of Orsha. Moreover, there is reason to believe that Dashkovych may have participated in this battle and could, therefore, be represented in the painting.