DOI Heft:
Introduction
DOI Artikel:Mádl, Martin: "Iconomysticism" of Jacob Masen and decoration of pilgrim church at Holy Hill near Olomoue
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51716#0010
ŠTÚDIE ! ARTICLES
ARS 47, 2014, 1
‘Iconomysticism’ of Jacob Masen and Décoration
of Pilgrim Church at Holy Hill near Olomouc
Martin MÁDL
Art historians specializing in early modern Cen-
tral European fine arts claim that there is a lack of
theoretical treatises from the period, which would
enable them to hâve a doser view of artistic ideas,
concepts and formal aspects of art works. Unlike
in Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands or England,
the Central European artists themselves — with only
a few exceptions — did not write much about art
works. There were also very few institutions in early
modern Central Europe supporting a theoretical
art historical reflection. However, there still exists
an important branch of early modern emblematic
literatuře, dealing with the theory of image and its
relation to word, which was flourishing and which
was widely reflected in Central European countries. It
was Wilhelm Mrázek, and some decades later Markus
Hundemer, who had emphasised the importance of
theoretical literatuře on rhetoric and emblematic and
its impact on baroque ceiling painting in their work.* 1
In my páper I would like to briefly introduce the em-
blematic work of the Jesuit author Jacob Masen and
to demonstrate its importance for baroque ceiling
painting using the example of the painterly décora-
tion of the famous Moravian pilgrim church at the
Svatý Kopeček [Holy Hill] near Olomouc.
P. Jacob Masen, S. J. (1606—1681) was born in
Dahlen [Jülich, Germany], He studied at Jesuit
This study had its origin as part of the grant project Corpus
of baroque ceiling painting in Cspch Lands II: Giacomo Tencalla and
patrons’ circle in 1670s—1680s, supported by the Czech Science
Foundation (reg. no. P409/09/0949). The author is thankful
to Professor Lubomír Konečný and Kateřina Dolejší for their
advices and kind help.
1 MRÁZEK, W.: Ikonologie der barocken Deckenmalerei. Wien
schools in Cologne and entered the Jesuit Order in
Trier in 1629. Later, he taught Poetics and Rhetoric
in Cologne, Münster and Aachen. After his eternal
vows in 1648, he became a preacher in Cologne, Pad-
erborn and Trier. He spent his last years in Cologne.
Masen is the author of several books on History,
Poetry, Drama, Rhetoric, Emblematic and Ascetics.
Masen’s influential work, the extensive treatise on the
theory of Symbols and emblems, Spéculum Imaginum
Veritatis Occultae, was first published in Cologne in
1650, and reprinted in expanded versions in 1659,
1664,1681,1686,1693 and 1714. [Fig. 1] Masen was
well acquainted with older emblematic tradition, as
well as with the more recent Jesuits’ productions
including works by Hermann Hugo (Pia Desideria)
or Antoine Sucquet (Fm Vitae Aeternae). However,
these rather comprehensive, educative and prosélyte
works of his Jesuit colleagues did not satisfy Masen’s
intellect. And the lexicons of allégories and symbols,
including Iconologia by Cesare Ripa, did not offer
more than a repertory of images, which should be
combined with other visual and literal motifs in a
rather unexpected, original way. In accordance with
the neo-platonic tradition, Masen understood image
to be related with more elevated ideas. His hiero-
glyphical understanding of image was close to that
of Pierio Valeriano or Athanasius Kircher.2
1953; HUNDEMER, M.: Rhetorische Kunsttheorie und barocke
Deckenmalerei. Zur Theorie der sinnlichen Erkenntnis im Barock.
Regensburg 1997.
2 For Masen’s work see PRAŽ, M.: Studies in Seventeenth-Century
Imagery [=Sussidi eruditi 16]. Roma 1964, p. 415; BAUER,
B.: Jesuitische ,ars rhetorica' im Zeitalter der Glaubenskämpfe
[=Mikrokosmos. Beiträge zur Literaturwissenschaft und
4
ARS 47, 2014, 1
‘Iconomysticism’ of Jacob Masen and Décoration
of Pilgrim Church at Holy Hill near Olomouc
Martin MÁDL
Art historians specializing in early modern Cen-
tral European fine arts claim that there is a lack of
theoretical treatises from the period, which would
enable them to hâve a doser view of artistic ideas,
concepts and formal aspects of art works. Unlike
in Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands or England,
the Central European artists themselves — with only
a few exceptions — did not write much about art
works. There were also very few institutions in early
modern Central Europe supporting a theoretical
art historical reflection. However, there still exists
an important branch of early modern emblematic
literatuře, dealing with the theory of image and its
relation to word, which was flourishing and which
was widely reflected in Central European countries. It
was Wilhelm Mrázek, and some decades later Markus
Hundemer, who had emphasised the importance of
theoretical literatuře on rhetoric and emblematic and
its impact on baroque ceiling painting in their work.* 1
In my páper I would like to briefly introduce the em-
blematic work of the Jesuit author Jacob Masen and
to demonstrate its importance for baroque ceiling
painting using the example of the painterly décora-
tion of the famous Moravian pilgrim church at the
Svatý Kopeček [Holy Hill] near Olomouc.
P. Jacob Masen, S. J. (1606—1681) was born in
Dahlen [Jülich, Germany], He studied at Jesuit
This study had its origin as part of the grant project Corpus
of baroque ceiling painting in Cspch Lands II: Giacomo Tencalla and
patrons’ circle in 1670s—1680s, supported by the Czech Science
Foundation (reg. no. P409/09/0949). The author is thankful
to Professor Lubomír Konečný and Kateřina Dolejší for their
advices and kind help.
1 MRÁZEK, W.: Ikonologie der barocken Deckenmalerei. Wien
schools in Cologne and entered the Jesuit Order in
Trier in 1629. Later, he taught Poetics and Rhetoric
in Cologne, Münster and Aachen. After his eternal
vows in 1648, he became a preacher in Cologne, Pad-
erborn and Trier. He spent his last years in Cologne.
Masen is the author of several books on History,
Poetry, Drama, Rhetoric, Emblematic and Ascetics.
Masen’s influential work, the extensive treatise on the
theory of Symbols and emblems, Spéculum Imaginum
Veritatis Occultae, was first published in Cologne in
1650, and reprinted in expanded versions in 1659,
1664,1681,1686,1693 and 1714. [Fig. 1] Masen was
well acquainted with older emblematic tradition, as
well as with the more recent Jesuits’ productions
including works by Hermann Hugo (Pia Desideria)
or Antoine Sucquet (Fm Vitae Aeternae). However,
these rather comprehensive, educative and prosélyte
works of his Jesuit colleagues did not satisfy Masen’s
intellect. And the lexicons of allégories and symbols,
including Iconologia by Cesare Ripa, did not offer
more than a repertory of images, which should be
combined with other visual and literal motifs in a
rather unexpected, original way. In accordance with
the neo-platonic tradition, Masen understood image
to be related with more elevated ideas. His hiero-
glyphical understanding of image was close to that
of Pierio Valeriano or Athanasius Kircher.2
1953; HUNDEMER, M.: Rhetorische Kunsttheorie und barocke
Deckenmalerei. Zur Theorie der sinnlichen Erkenntnis im Barock.
Regensburg 1997.
2 For Masen’s work see PRAŽ, M.: Studies in Seventeenth-Century
Imagery [=Sussidi eruditi 16]. Roma 1964, p. 415; BAUER,
B.: Jesuitische ,ars rhetorica' im Zeitalter der Glaubenskämpfe
[=Mikrokosmos. Beiträge zur Literaturwissenschaft und
4