User:Agatakarolina/Stańczyk's hood

Stańczyk Hood – museum prop in the possession of the National Museum in Cracow

Jester costume
The jester's costume was associated with theatricality resulting from the nature of his work. The jester's outfit may have distinguished itself as early as the 14th century or early in the 15th century.The hood was already an important part of the costume; sometimes it was decorated with donkey ears (called in polish a "kukla") in reference to the legend of King Midas. Buttons and bells appeared at the beginning of the 14th century, their shapes varied, and they became a permanent part of the costume by the end of the century. The dress was called a "sajan" in polish; it was fitted in the upper parts, while below the hips it was supposed to expand. The cut did not have to be regular, symmetrical. The outfit could be girded with a purse, and the jester's feet were sometimes barefoot. The color evolved over time from yellow, green in the 13th and 14th centuries, to multicolored costumes in the 14th century. The red hue in Matejko's works is therefore the result of the painter's invention.

In culture
The hood has been portrayed in several of the artist's works: as Stańczyk ,Prussian Homage. Stańczyk also featured in one of the works of Leon Wyczółkowski, a student of Matejko, with the title Stańczyk. . The figure of a jester in distinctive costume also appeared in productions of Stanisław Wyspiański's Wesele. The figure of Stańczyk was also referred to by Polish performer Wojciech Zamiara. In 2023, the hood became an object advertising the exhibition ''Matejko. Malarz i Historia'' in National Museum in Cracow. At the same time was one of the exhibits on display.