DOI issue:
Nr. 1-2
DOI article:Kopania, Kamil: Słowo - obraz - teatr: uwagi na temat "Rozmyślań dominikańskich"
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49354#0052
46
Kamil Kopania
The Word, the Picture and the Theatre. Comments on the
subject of the 'Dominican Reflections'
For years now Dominican Reflections, a manuscript
originating from 1532 decorated with 117
miniatures describing the life of Christ from his
arrival in Jerusalem to being laid to rest in the tomb,
have been the object of thematically wide-ranging
studies and analyses. Until the present moment a
large number of works have been devoted either
entirely or in part to the Reflections in relation to the
culture of 16th-century Poland and their place in
godliness at the turn of the mediaeval and
Renaissance eras, the literary source which
conditioned their creation, the text's linguistic
properties and the miniatures' graphic prototypes.
Apart from these, attempts have also been made to
relate the manuscript with mystery theatre. It has
even become a basis for generał considerations on
the mutual links between painting, literature and
theatre.
This article focuses on the question of the as-
sumed dependence of Dominican Reflections, in its
textual as well as pictorial level, on the mystery
plays. Karol Górski, who discovered the manuscript,
first suggested such a link with the theatre might ex-
ist, and especially with the non-existent Passion,
which was supposedly staged by the Dominicans of
Cracow in 1534, exerted a remarkably influence on
subsequent research on the subject.
The question of the theatricality of both the text
and miniatures composing Reflections has been cov-
ered by a number of studies, as well as being men-
tioned in minor references. Attempts have been
made to dcmonstrate that one of the miniature's art-
ists, referred to as miniaturist number two, depicted
in some of his illustrations a podium of innovative
form used as a stage set as well as mansions, and
even anticipated the theatrical designs of Sebastian
Serlio. Attention has been drawn to the way in which
this anonymous miniaturist depicted figures coin-
cided with those appearing in the texts of mystery
plays. Attempts have been undertaken to link the
miniature with the tableau painting known as the
Toruń Passion originating from St. James's church
in the city (1480), which is said to be strongly de-
pendent in its form upon the mystery scene. Ulti-
mately, it has been claimed that the literary structure
of Reflections is proof in itself of their 'theatrical-
ity', to which further evidence was supposed to be
the text's assumed dependency on the miniatures
adorning the manuscript. It seems that Górski's
stipulations, just like those of later researchers fol-
lowing the same line of reasoning, find no support in
source materials available as well as the
ascertainments of researchers active in various aca-
demic fields.
The connection between Dominican Reflections
and the text of the Passion about which Michał
Hieronim Juszyński wrote in his 'Dictionary of
Polish Poets' (Dykcyonarz poetów polskich) seems
to lack sufficient motivation. The varied considera-
tions on this subject fail to go beyond the level of
loose hypotheses which cannot be proven until the
manuscript of the play were to be find, which seems
highly unlikely. On the basis of the little Information
available, it may only be stated that the date of its
creation is uncertain. It should also be acknowledged
that the extensive information offered by Juszyński
on the history of mystery plays in Poland and the
theatrical activities of the Dominicans in Cracow is
unreliable. Above all, it should be borne in mind that
the form of the Passion, just like the Dominican Re-
flections, could have draw its origins from the Bible,
apocryphal writings as well as passion treatises. The
sources of both works might thus be closely related,
if not identical; a possibility which contradicts the
view that the supposed similarities between them re-
sulted from the influence of theatre on miniatures
and the text under consideration.
The hypothesis that a stage set of innovative form
existed in 16th-century Cracow, documented a
vague way in some of the miniatures accompanying
the Reflections, can be no more than partial de-
fended. Undoubtedly, the so-called miniaturist
number two depicts the same construction, neverthe-
less there is no proof that he drew his model for it
from stage architecture; especially since anything
similar to it comes exclusively from the Italian pe-
ninsula. It is safer to accept Julian Lewański's sug-
gestion that the miniaturist himself was the author of
such an innovative stage construction for which
plans were depicted in his drawings. However, no
evidence is available to prove his aim was ever to
carry out such constructions, just as it is not known
for whose use it might have been intended and what
objective he had in mind.
The temporary and simple architectural con-
struction, placed in an urban background and present
in some of the anonymous miniaturist's composi-
tions may be recognised with a certain degree of
likelihood to depict mansions. It should be borne in
mind that structures identical in form set against
such an architectural backdrop are a frequently re-
peated motif in mediaeval pictorial depictions of,
Kamil Kopania
The Word, the Picture and the Theatre. Comments on the
subject of the 'Dominican Reflections'
For years now Dominican Reflections, a manuscript
originating from 1532 decorated with 117
miniatures describing the life of Christ from his
arrival in Jerusalem to being laid to rest in the tomb,
have been the object of thematically wide-ranging
studies and analyses. Until the present moment a
large number of works have been devoted either
entirely or in part to the Reflections in relation to the
culture of 16th-century Poland and their place in
godliness at the turn of the mediaeval and
Renaissance eras, the literary source which
conditioned their creation, the text's linguistic
properties and the miniatures' graphic prototypes.
Apart from these, attempts have also been made to
relate the manuscript with mystery theatre. It has
even become a basis for generał considerations on
the mutual links between painting, literature and
theatre.
This article focuses on the question of the as-
sumed dependence of Dominican Reflections, in its
textual as well as pictorial level, on the mystery
plays. Karol Górski, who discovered the manuscript,
first suggested such a link with the theatre might ex-
ist, and especially with the non-existent Passion,
which was supposedly staged by the Dominicans of
Cracow in 1534, exerted a remarkably influence on
subsequent research on the subject.
The question of the theatricality of both the text
and miniatures composing Reflections has been cov-
ered by a number of studies, as well as being men-
tioned in minor references. Attempts have been
made to dcmonstrate that one of the miniature's art-
ists, referred to as miniaturist number two, depicted
in some of his illustrations a podium of innovative
form used as a stage set as well as mansions, and
even anticipated the theatrical designs of Sebastian
Serlio. Attention has been drawn to the way in which
this anonymous miniaturist depicted figures coin-
cided with those appearing in the texts of mystery
plays. Attempts have been undertaken to link the
miniature with the tableau painting known as the
Toruń Passion originating from St. James's church
in the city (1480), which is said to be strongly de-
pendent in its form upon the mystery scene. Ulti-
mately, it has been claimed that the literary structure
of Reflections is proof in itself of their 'theatrical-
ity', to which further evidence was supposed to be
the text's assumed dependency on the miniatures
adorning the manuscript. It seems that Górski's
stipulations, just like those of later researchers fol-
lowing the same line of reasoning, find no support in
source materials available as well as the
ascertainments of researchers active in various aca-
demic fields.
The connection between Dominican Reflections
and the text of the Passion about which Michał
Hieronim Juszyński wrote in his 'Dictionary of
Polish Poets' (Dykcyonarz poetów polskich) seems
to lack sufficient motivation. The varied considera-
tions on this subject fail to go beyond the level of
loose hypotheses which cannot be proven until the
manuscript of the play were to be find, which seems
highly unlikely. On the basis of the little Information
available, it may only be stated that the date of its
creation is uncertain. It should also be acknowledged
that the extensive information offered by Juszyński
on the history of mystery plays in Poland and the
theatrical activities of the Dominicans in Cracow is
unreliable. Above all, it should be borne in mind that
the form of the Passion, just like the Dominican Re-
flections, could have draw its origins from the Bible,
apocryphal writings as well as passion treatises. The
sources of both works might thus be closely related,
if not identical; a possibility which contradicts the
view that the supposed similarities between them re-
sulted from the influence of theatre on miniatures
and the text under consideration.
The hypothesis that a stage set of innovative form
existed in 16th-century Cracow, documented a
vague way in some of the miniatures accompanying
the Reflections, can be no more than partial de-
fended. Undoubtedly, the so-called miniaturist
number two depicts the same construction, neverthe-
less there is no proof that he drew his model for it
from stage architecture; especially since anything
similar to it comes exclusively from the Italian pe-
ninsula. It is safer to accept Julian Lewański's sug-
gestion that the miniaturist himself was the author of
such an innovative stage construction for which
plans were depicted in his drawings. However, no
evidence is available to prove his aim was ever to
carry out such constructions, just as it is not known
for whose use it might have been intended and what
objective he had in mind.
The temporary and simple architectural con-
struction, placed in an urban background and present
in some of the anonymous miniaturist's composi-
tions may be recognised with a certain degree of
likelihood to depict mansions. It should be borne in
mind that structures identical in form set against
such an architectural backdrop are a frequently re-
peated motif in mediaeval pictorial depictions of,