Polish history is very colorful. The (rather thick, but reasonably impartial) recommended read on Polish history over centuries is Norman Davies's "God's Playgr

Polish history is very colorful. The (rather thick, but reasonably impartial) recommended read on Polish history over centuries is Norman Davies's "God's Playground" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God%27s_Playground https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God%27s_Playground Citing https://culture.pl/en/work/stanczyk-jan-matejko https://culture.pl/en/work/stanczyk-jan-matejko > The full title of the painting is Stańczyk during a Ball at the Court of Queen Bona in the Face of the Loss of Smoleńsk. It depicts a royal jester sitting in an armchair, immersed in thought. In the corner of the painting, through an open door, one can see that a bustling party is taking place right next door. However, Stańczyk does not take part in it, most likely saddened or overwhelmed by the information he received in the letter visible on the table on his right. Stańczyk sits in a dark chamber, contrasting with the illuminated ballroom. The window painted on the opposite side of the canvas acts as a counterbalance to it. Through it, one can see the tower of Wawel Cathedral and a comet cutting through the night sky – a clear omen of an upcoming catastrophe. > The historical background for this painting was the war between the combined forces of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania against Russia in the years 1512-1522, and above all one of its battles: the siege of Smolensk, as a result of which, in 1514, the Russians gained control of the fortress for nearly a hundred years. Due to its strategic location, this was extremely unfavourable, threatening the security of both Poland and Lithuania and blocking the possibility of expansion to the east. > However, Matejko’s goal was not to tell the story of the struggle for the fortress of Smolensk. By recalling events from the distant past, the painter wanted to show the consequences of bad decisions, manipulation, and scheming; the consequences of poorly thought-out actions and the lack of national unity