In April 1794, Polish forces under Tadeusz Kościuszko achieved a rare and electrifying victory against the Russian Empire at the Battle of Racławice. This event, which saw peasant scythe-bearers charge Russian cannon, became a symbol of national resilience and hope during Poland’s long struggle for independence. Nearly a century later, Jan Matejko—already celebrated for his sweeping historical canvases—returned to this moment with Kościuszko at Racławice, sketch, capturing the drama that would soon inspire the monumental Racławice Panorama in Wrocław.

The sketch stands as a testament to both a pivotal battle and the enduring power of historical memory in Polish art. Matejko selects the instant when Kościuszko, in his blue coat and peasant cap, raises his saber to rally the ragtag army of peasants and soldiers. The composition is a tumult of movement: scythe-wielding chłopi surge forward, their faces lit by the hope and terror of battle, while the Russian lines waver in the distance. The artist’s energetic brushwork and loose handling in the sketch convey urgency and raw emotion, in contrast to the more polished, theatrical approach of Wojciech Kossak’s later panoramas on the same theme.

The central gesture—Kościuszko’s raised arm—has become iconic, representing not only military leadership but also the unity of classes in a common cause. The exact medium of this sketch remains uncertain, but it is typical of Matejko’s preparatory works, which often served as laboratories for compositional ideas and emotional tone. Unlike his finished canvases, which were frequently commissioned by public institutions or wealthy patrons, sketches like this one circulated among students and collectors, sometimes remaining in private hands for decades. Today, Kościuszko at Racławice, sketch is valued both as a document of Matejko’s creative process and as a window into the national consciousness of late nineteenth-century Poland.

Its journey from studio to gallery mirrors the ongoing rediscovery of Poland’s past through art.