Skarga’s Sermon

painting by Jan Matejko

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July 23, 2026

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Jan Matejko's painting, Skarga's Sermon, depicts Piotr Skarga, a Jesuit preacher and writer, delivering a sermon. Skarga was a prominent figure of the Counter-Reformation in Poland and served as court chaplain to King Sigismund III Vasa. He was known for his powerful oratory and his willingness to criticize the court's failings.1

The painting captures a moment of intense spiritual and political reflection, with Skarga passionately addressing the King and the Diet. Matejko, a renowned historical painter, often used his art to comment on Poland's history and political state. Skarga's Sermon is one of his notable works that reflects this engagement with national history and religious fervor.123

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Jan Matejko
The other two, Skarga’s Sermon (1864) and Rejtan, or the Fall of Poland (1866), won gold medals at the Paris Salon in 1865 and World Exhibition in Paris in 1867, respectively. Both of these paintings depict warnings against the eventual dissolution of the Polish state. The former dramatizes…
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The other two, Skarga’s Sermon (1864) and Rejtan, or the Fall of Poland (1866), won gold medals at the Paris Salon in 1865 and World Exhibition in Paris in 1867, respectively. Both of these paintings depict warnings against the eventual dissolution of the Polish state. The former dramatizes…
Read More