Stańczyk

Stańczyk (Polish pronunciation: [ˈstaɲt͡ʂɨk]; c. 1480 – c. 1560) was the most famous Polish court jester. He was employed by three subsequent Polish kings: Alexander, Sigismund the Old and Sigismund Augustus, and was praised by his contemporaries for his wit, patriotism and sober political thought, though some historians noted the possible embellishment in the numerous surviving anecdotes. In later generations Stańczyk became an inspiration for Polish political thinkers and a favorite subject of several artists, most notably the painter Jan Matejko, who made him the central figure of many of his paintings, including the famous "Stańczyk" painting. Stańczyk is often cited as an archetypical example of a wise fool or to illustrate the sad clown paradox.