ordinary people that made this greatness possible. Although the painting is usually known as The hanging of the Sigismund bell.., in fact it shows not the moment of hanging but the moment of the bell's emergence from the mold in which it was cast. The painting shows a crowd, with a number of identifiable figures of historical importance. On the left, there is the royal court, but only the king, Sigismund I, his family (including queen Bona Sforza), and the court jester, Stańczyk, can be identified. Sigismund, the patron of the Sigismund Bell, and his son Sigismund August, were Polish kings that inspired other works of Matejko, including The Babin Republic (1881) and The Founding of the Lubranski Academy in Poznań (1886). Sigismund I's portrayal on the Hanging... painting is the one where Matejko shows him with pride and respect. Other figures in the court include banker Jan Boner, merchant and official Seweryn Bethman, and castellan and voivode Stanisław Kmita. Bishop Jan Chojeński is also shown on the painting, consecrating the bell, with canon Grzegorz Lubrański nearby. Outside the court, master bell-founder Hans Beham is seen above the bell. Between him and the court there are two dark-clad figures. These are the Wawel architect Bartolommeo Berrecci, and a musician, Valentin Bakfark, who according to a legend threw a string from his instrument into the melted bronze (in fact, he arrived in Poland two decades after the bell was cast). In the background, Wawel Castle can be seen. As he would often do, Matejko included people whom he considered significant for the era, but who could not be present in the scene, like Sigismund I's son, Sigismund II August, who would have been only one year old. In 1885 Matejko would paint a sequel-like picture, Zygmunt I słuchający Dzwonu Zygmunta (Sigismund I listening to the Sigismund Bell), showing an older Sigismund and Stańczyk, contemplating the passing of their era. References External links Hanging of King Sigismund's Bell in the Belfry of the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow at ScholarsResource.com 1874 paintings Paintings by Jan Matejko Polish art Paintings in the collection of the National Museum, Warsaw Dogs in art Cultural depictions of Polish men Cultural depictions of kings Cultural depictions of Stańczyk