DOI article:
Artykuły i komunikaty
DOI article:Lileyko, Jerzy: Pałac i ogród: natura zawłaszczona przez sztukę
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49351#0046
40
Jerzy Lileyko
To niezwykłe widowisko obserował król i dwór z okien Galerie des Glaces, gdzie wielkie
zwierciadła umieszczone na wprost okien odbijały widok ogrodu we wszystkich blaskach
zachodzącego słońca, co dawało iluzję przebywania w nieskończonej, jakby niebiańskiej
przestrzeni. Ogród „wracał” do pałacu animowany przez słońce, kierowane finezyjnym
kunsztem Le Nótre’a.
Proces zawłaszczania przez sztukę natury, a zarazem wykorzystywania wszystkich jej
składników dla tworzenia iluzji, dodajmy - sterowany przez ludzką pychę, najpewniej tę
samą, która objawiła się w biblijnym Raju - we wspólnym dziele francuskiego monarchy
i jego artystów, osiągnął punkt szczytowy. Doprawdy, me można się dziwić zgromadzo-
nym w Galerii Lustrzanej obserwatorom kosmologicznego spektaklu, którzy odrzucając
kartezjański racjonalizm uwierzyli, że Ludwik XIV - mimo postępujących skłonności do
tycia-jest rzeczywiście Królem-Słońce, synem Apollma i wnukiem Latony.
The Pałace and Garden.
Naturę in the possession of art
There has always existed a connection between
man’s home and naturę. At successive stages of de-
velopment this connection took on a varying form,
dependent on culture, advances in technology and
personal sensitivity. In the Middle Ages the human
perception of naturę was limited by a negative atti-
tude to the real world, which was conceived as a path
fuli of torment leading to eternal and unimaginable
bliss. The charm of naturę, the beauty of trees, flow-
ers and landscapes were regarded as the faint rem-
nants of an irretrievably lost, biblical paradise. In
a world of suffering the sensual pleasure of being in
communion with naturę could be expressed only
through wonder for the work of the Creator. This at-
titude justified an acceptance of naturę, which was
initially introduced tentatively into the world of art
and the world of human existence. The walled
‘hortus conclusus’, or the monasterial viridarium
decked in flowers, as well as such garden retreats
dating from the demise of the Middle Ages as ‘the
holy groves of Petrarch’ seemed to provide the most
suitable environment for the theological contempla-
tion of monks or philosophical discourse of human-
ists. For the one and the other they provided a refuge
from the turmoil of life, and simultaneously a substi-
tute for the heavenly existence.
Mediaeval thought divided into two the dilemma
of choice between God and the world, but the beauty
of naturę intensified the regret of a conscious resig-
nation from the charms of temporal existence,
thereby increasing a positive attitude to the world,
mainly in the courts and among humanists. Meadow
gardens extending from the castles of feudal lords
became the scene of the literary adventures of
Tristan and Isolda, a backdrop to the events of ‘Ro-
man de la Rosę’ and scenery of the tales of
Boccaccio’s heroes. Each of these garden layouts
were adapted to the lay of the land and altered the
world of naturę to no morę than a minor degree. As
such, they served merely to make naturę morę famil-
iar and morę accessible to people, even while she
continued to be perceived as a not very friendly
force. Her strength and the ability with which she
exercised her dominance over man were taken into
account. Mountains and rivers were natural barriers
to travel, while in the woods there lurked wild ani-
mals and the dark forests were seen to harbour evil
forces.
The convictions born in Italy during the 15th
century of the unlimited possibilities of man which
can and must rule over the entire world initiated an
affirmative attitude to life. Achievements in the tech-
nical and natural Sciences of those times madę it pos-
sible to interfere in naturę, which was madę use of as
materiał for artistic design. This development came
to fruition in the conception of the ‘humanist’ gar-
den, sińce its form was decided not by naturę but the
human capacity to make use of the laws of geometry
and perspective formulated as an aesthetic conven-
tion. The regular, ‘geometricalised’ and tastefully
cropped garden became a work of art; a transmitter
of literary works and philosophical treatises; its own
superb form to heighten one’s jole de vivre. How-
ever, the question might be posed if the garden con-
cocted in this way was not its own form of retaliation
for the times of tribulation caused previously by
naturę; a horticultural plaisanterie and perhaps even
an expression of derision at the true wood and
Jerzy Lileyko
To niezwykłe widowisko obserował król i dwór z okien Galerie des Glaces, gdzie wielkie
zwierciadła umieszczone na wprost okien odbijały widok ogrodu we wszystkich blaskach
zachodzącego słońca, co dawało iluzję przebywania w nieskończonej, jakby niebiańskiej
przestrzeni. Ogród „wracał” do pałacu animowany przez słońce, kierowane finezyjnym
kunsztem Le Nótre’a.
Proces zawłaszczania przez sztukę natury, a zarazem wykorzystywania wszystkich jej
składników dla tworzenia iluzji, dodajmy - sterowany przez ludzką pychę, najpewniej tę
samą, która objawiła się w biblijnym Raju - we wspólnym dziele francuskiego monarchy
i jego artystów, osiągnął punkt szczytowy. Doprawdy, me można się dziwić zgromadzo-
nym w Galerii Lustrzanej obserwatorom kosmologicznego spektaklu, którzy odrzucając
kartezjański racjonalizm uwierzyli, że Ludwik XIV - mimo postępujących skłonności do
tycia-jest rzeczywiście Królem-Słońce, synem Apollma i wnukiem Latony.
The Pałace and Garden.
Naturę in the possession of art
There has always existed a connection between
man’s home and naturę. At successive stages of de-
velopment this connection took on a varying form,
dependent on culture, advances in technology and
personal sensitivity. In the Middle Ages the human
perception of naturę was limited by a negative atti-
tude to the real world, which was conceived as a path
fuli of torment leading to eternal and unimaginable
bliss. The charm of naturę, the beauty of trees, flow-
ers and landscapes were regarded as the faint rem-
nants of an irretrievably lost, biblical paradise. In
a world of suffering the sensual pleasure of being in
communion with naturę could be expressed only
through wonder for the work of the Creator. This at-
titude justified an acceptance of naturę, which was
initially introduced tentatively into the world of art
and the world of human existence. The walled
‘hortus conclusus’, or the monasterial viridarium
decked in flowers, as well as such garden retreats
dating from the demise of the Middle Ages as ‘the
holy groves of Petrarch’ seemed to provide the most
suitable environment for the theological contempla-
tion of monks or philosophical discourse of human-
ists. For the one and the other they provided a refuge
from the turmoil of life, and simultaneously a substi-
tute for the heavenly existence.
Mediaeval thought divided into two the dilemma
of choice between God and the world, but the beauty
of naturę intensified the regret of a conscious resig-
nation from the charms of temporal existence,
thereby increasing a positive attitude to the world,
mainly in the courts and among humanists. Meadow
gardens extending from the castles of feudal lords
became the scene of the literary adventures of
Tristan and Isolda, a backdrop to the events of ‘Ro-
man de la Rosę’ and scenery of the tales of
Boccaccio’s heroes. Each of these garden layouts
were adapted to the lay of the land and altered the
world of naturę to no morę than a minor degree. As
such, they served merely to make naturę morę famil-
iar and morę accessible to people, even while she
continued to be perceived as a not very friendly
force. Her strength and the ability with which she
exercised her dominance over man were taken into
account. Mountains and rivers were natural barriers
to travel, while in the woods there lurked wild ani-
mals and the dark forests were seen to harbour evil
forces.
The convictions born in Italy during the 15th
century of the unlimited possibilities of man which
can and must rule over the entire world initiated an
affirmative attitude to life. Achievements in the tech-
nical and natural Sciences of those times madę it pos-
sible to interfere in naturę, which was madę use of as
materiał for artistic design. This development came
to fruition in the conception of the ‘humanist’ gar-
den, sińce its form was decided not by naturę but the
human capacity to make use of the laws of geometry
and perspective formulated as an aesthetic conven-
tion. The regular, ‘geometricalised’ and tastefully
cropped garden became a work of art; a transmitter
of literary works and philosophical treatises; its own
superb form to heighten one’s jole de vivre. How-
ever, the question might be posed if the garden con-
cocted in this way was not its own form of retaliation
for the times of tribulation caused previously by
naturę; a horticultural plaisanterie and perhaps even
an expression of derision at the true wood and