Matrony i kawalerowie służący Ojczyźnie – portrety członków Radziwiłłowskiej familii z przemilczeniem w tle [Matrons and bachelors serving their Fatherland: Radziwiłł family members portraits with a concealment in the background]

The article is an analysis of diary of Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł – known as „Rybeńko” (1702-1762) – in terms of reading the way of presenting the relations within family there. Reading his very extensive writings, carried regularly for several years, proves the strategy adopted by the author regarding the presentation of the events in relation to the members of the magnate family. It is suggested to ignore inconvenient facts, as well as to conceal controversial motives or consequences of their own actions, and also further or closer relatives. Whereas everything that can bring glamour and recognition is emphasised. Radziwiłł tries to create an idealized image of the family, looking on their relatives from the perspective of social roles, in which they shall be filled. The aim of the article is to discover and describe the mechanisms, present in the diary, as concealment and conscious creation, contributing to a spotless family portrait construction.