About Konstanty Schmidt-Ciążyński
Konstanty Aleksander Wiktor Schmidt-Ciążyński (born February 18, 1818, died January 5, 1889, in Gorizia) was a Polish collector and art connoisseur, who donated a large collection to the National Museum in Kraków. He likely studied in Dorpat. Then, from 1839 to 1851, he resided in Saint Petersburg, where he worked at the Hermitage Museum as a restorer of paintings by Italian old masters, among others. It was during this time that he began to create his private collection of engraved gems, paintings, and prints. From 1851 to 1859, he was involved in art trade in Paris, running a renowned antique shop. He obtained a patent as a supplier to the court of Napoleon III. In 1859, he moved to London, where he gradually sold off his collection, retaining only the engraved gems and some favorite paintings. In his later years, he decided to donate his remaining collections to Polish museums. Initially, he planned to gift them to the Polish Museum in Rapperswil, but due to difficulties in negotiations with Władysław Plater, the collection ultimately ended up in the National Museum in Kraków, thanks to Karol Estreicher. In 1883, an exhibition was held in the Kraków Cloth Hall, showcasing the donated collections. They are currently housed in the Department of Artistic Crafts and Material Culture of the National Museum in Kraków.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.