On May 3, 1791, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth adopted Europe’s first modern written constitution, a bold act of reform that would echo across the continent. Nearly a century later, Jan Matejko commemorated this pivotal moment in The Constitution of May 3. Four-Year Sejm.

Educational Commission. Partition. A.D., a painting that became a rallying point for national pride during a time when Poland itself had vanished from the map.

When the work was unveiled in 1891, crowds gathered in Kraków, and contemporary critics hailed it as a visual anthem for a nation longing for self-determination. At the heart of the canvas, Matejko freezes the jubilant procession of deputies and citizens as they carry the freshly signed constitution through the streets of Warsaw. The king, Stanisław August Poniatowski, is raised above the throng, his right hand clutching the document, while supporters and reformers press close, their faces lit by hope and resolve. The banners and church spires in the background root the scene in a recognizable Warsaw, while the chain of clasped hands in the foreground signals unity across social classes.

Matejko’s crowded, almost theatrical composition recalls the narrative density of Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, yet here the focus is on consensus and reform rather than violent uprising. The painting was commissioned by the city of Kraków to mark the centenary of the constitution, and its creation coincided with a period when Matejko was widely regarded as Poland’s national painter. After its debut, the work toured Polish territories under partition, inspiring viewers in cities where open celebration of Polish history was often forbidden. Today, it hangs in the Royal Castle in Warsaw, a symbol of both the artist’s ambition and the enduring significance of the events it depicts.

While Matejko produced several monumental canvases on Polish history, this painting stands out for its hopeful vision at a time of national crisis—both in 1791 and in the late 19th century.