The First Room of the Apartment
The walls of the First Room in the Western Apartment are hung with pictures, mainly by Dutch and German painters, depicting still lifes, including a Still Life with Flowers and Fruits by the German artist Johann Knapp. The Portrait of Amalia Augusta Gräfin von Löfer with Daughter by the Swiss painter Anton Graff (1736–1813) is an exceptional painting. A commode with plum wood veneer (Poland, 3rd quarter of the 18th century) is displayed near the main wall; in the corner of the room visitors will find a glass-topped cabinet, containing a miniature portrait of Ksawery Bardzki, a Meissen porcelain candlestick, two ostrich eggs, and glass goblets with the Royal monogram “SAR” made in the late 18th century. Near the window stands a Louis XV-style table-desk (France, c. 1760), and a French armchair in the same style signed by Pere Gourdin. The room’s décor is complemented with a faïence vase (the Netherlands, Delft, de Paew’s workshop; 2nd half of the 18th century) and two Chinese porcelain vases.