How does Rejtan (painting) elucidate its Historical context?
Tadeusz Rejtan was a deputy in the Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1773, infamously known as the Partition Sejm. The Sejm convened to review the demands of the Commonwealth's three neighbours (the Russian Empire, Prussia and the Archduchy of Austria) in order to legalize their territorial demands, known as the First Partition of Poland. The Sejm operated under duress, with the immediate threat of foreign forces present in the Commonwealth, and with a significant number of deputies either bribed or threatened by foreign diplomats. The three powers officially justified their actions as a compensation for dealing with a troublesome neighbor and restoring order through military intervention in the civil war (the War of Bar Confederation); in fact all three were interested in territorial gains.On 21 April that year, Rejtan, in a dramatic gesture at the Sejm, is said to have bared his chest and laid himself down in a doorway, blocking the way with his own body in a dramatic attempt to stop the other members from leaving the chamber where the debate was being held. Leaving the chamber would signify an end to the discussion, and the acceptance of the motion under discussion, i.e., to accept the foreign territorial demands.
First Partition of Poland Sejm Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Bar Confederation Polish Russian Empire War of Bar Confederation Partition Sejm Austria Archduchy of Austria Tadeusz Rejtan Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Prussia Russia