Compte Kosakoski
Jean Samuel Ferdinand Baron de Tascher
Watercolour on ivory
Rome, 1821
This portrait of Compte Kosakoski by Baron de Tascher, painted in 1821, captures the story of a man who ardently supported Napoleon Bonaparte's quest to liberate Poland. After Napoleon's defeat in 1814, Kosakoski returned to his estate only to find that his lands had been seized. Through his mutual acquaintances with Tsar Alexander I, he managed to reclaim some his property and was later, possibly due to the virtue of bing Catholic, appointed as the head of the Russian delegation in Rome. Kosakoski's association in Rome with the French socialite Madame la Comptesse de Genlis, who offered valuable assistance during this time there, and led to his introduction to the, Ferdinand de Tascher.
Ferdinand Tascher, a politician of repute and relation of Princess Josephine, had his own tumultuous journey. In 1805, he was appointed auditor for the Council of State, and in 1812, he was sent as a special commissioner to Westphalia. Both of his brothers, lost their lives in the Russian campaign. He inherited his title of Count and lived in Paris until his death in 1858.
French Royal Collection
Private Austrian Collection
David Lavender Limited, London 1997
Private Collection, UK