Matejko is famous for his historical paintings. He painted portraits, too, especially those of his children. His best known paintings are "Astronomer Copernicus - Conversation with God", "Hanging of the Zygmunt bell", "Prussian Homage" and "Battle of Grunwald". He also published a book named "Portraits of Polish Kings" (1890). Most of these portraits are imaginary, meaning he painted kings and princes who lived many centuries before. There are no earlier pictures of them.