Illustrating Polish coins, medals and seals in graphic noble techniques in the nineteenth century. Part 1 –– Beginnings of the Polish numismatic illustration: activities of Kajetan W. Kielisiński, Antoni Oleszczyński and Joachim Lelewel

The article is the first attempt to analyze comprehensively Polish numismatic illustration in the 19th century created in noble graphic techniques: woodcut, copperplate, etching and steelwork. The authors focused on discussing drawings from the work of J. Ch. Albertandi “History of Polish medals attested and explained” that never appeared in print and the works of K. W. Kielisiński, A. Oleszczynski and J. Lelewel. They drew attention to the value of the iconographic material as the transmission of scientific information complementary to the text, the graphic engraving as an independent, sometimes outstanding work of art and the complexity of motives and inspirations that guided artists in the subject of Polish coins and medals.