DOI issue:
Nr. 1-2
DOI article:Morka, Mieczysław: Kaplica Zygmuntowska: król Salomon - princeps fundator
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49519#0100
94
Mieczysław Morka
(1505-1569) w ośmiowierszu Zamku Krakowskiego wchodzącego w skład wydanego
w 1562 r. Zwierzyńca: Żeby on Salomon w owej swej zacności. Mógł tu swój stan rozsze-
rzyć w wielkiej obfitości, lecz przede wszystkim manifestacja, jakąjest tondo, na którym
princeps fundator został na wieki utrwalony jako król „nowego Izraela".
The Sigismund Chapel. King Solomon, princeps fundator*
Analysing the works of researchers interested thus
far in the decorative content of the Sigismund
Chapel, built in the years 1517-38, the author lays
emphasis on how the majority of such studies has
been carried out on the basis of neo-Platonic phi-
losophy. In the meantime there remains no elear
proof that the Chapefs founder was even familiar
with such philosophy; much the same as in the case
of its creator, the Italian architect and sculptor
Bartolomeo Berrecci (ca. 1480-1537), born in
Pontassieve near Florence. In preparing his mono-
graph on the building and investigating for years the
artist's creative works, Stanis3aw Mossakowski has
proved that he was employed in the great Florentine
workshop of Giuliano da San Gallo the elder and
Benedetto da Rovezzano. The author of this article
points out the mistakes in interpretation made by
Lech Kalinowski in his now classical study, as well
as the lack of understanding for the reign of
Sigismund I revealed in an article by Karol
Estreicher (ftn. no. 4 in main text). He also refers to
what he considers to be an unconvincing article by
Karolina Targosz, devotcd to the exclusively neo-
Platonic content of the Chapel's decoration (ftn. no.
2), as well as the wholly fantastical deductions of
Kinga Sapetowa (ftn. no. 3), who sought in the inte-
rior decor erotic themes connected with the monarch
and his first wife, Barbara Zapolya, the death of
whom in 1515 supposedly inspired the king to have
the building erected.
The main premises for the author's analysis is the
fact that the Chapel was raised during the king's life-
time, serving the monarch residing in the immediate
vicinity as a private place of prayer. Themes of a re-
ligious and eschatological content thus had to be in-
cluded in its interior furbishing, as well as the principle
premises of the monarch's political ideology. It is pos-
sible that these were supplemented with messages
propagating the premises of the Jagiellonians' dynastie
politics. The Chapel's interna! structure (ills. 1-2)
was decorated from the western side by the quota-
tion DOMINE DILEKISTI DECORAM DOMVS
TVAE taken from Psalm 25:8 (T have loved, O
Lord, the beauty of thy house'), while on the south-
ern side were inscribed the sentiments NON NOBIS
DOMINE NON NOBIS SED NOMINI TVO con-
tained in the first verse of Psalm 113(B) ('Not to us,
O Lord, not to us, but to thy name'). A shield was
also placed with the inscription relating to the first
stages of construction as well as a eulogy by Andrzej
Krzycki, while the cupola was decorated with a dou-
ble crown and cupid presented as an angel carrying
the cross (ill. 14). In the interior furnishing reference
is made to the wall decoration up to the cornice line,
in which further quotations from the Psalms were
placed (ill. 8) in the entrance CONFITEANTYR TIBI
DOMINI OMNES GEN (based a verse contained in
no. 137: 'May all the [gen-tes] of the earth give glory
to Thee')-continued in the altar wall with sentiments
taken from Psalm 143:10: [TES] QVI DAT
SALVTEM REGIBUS ('Who givest salvation to
kings'; ill. 11). The quotation DEVS IVDICIVM
TVVM REGI DA placed in the wall with the royal
stall (ill. 9) comes from the first verse of Psalm 71:
('Give to the king thy judgment') while the words
BEATI QVI IN DOMINE MORIVNVR inscribed in
the tomb wall (ill. 10) come from Apocalypse 14:13
('Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord').* * The
author expresses his doubt concerning the authentic-
ity of statements relating to the bas-reliefs in the wall
arches (ills. 12, 13) made by Jan Bia3ostocki, Lech
Kalinowski and Stanis3aw Mossakowski (refer to ftn.
no. 7 in main text). These statements were based ex-
clusively on the current state of knowledge, while
there remains absolutely no evidence as to the time of
the Chapel's actual construction.
* This article comprises part of a chapter bearing the same
title in the author's book titled Sztuka dworu Zygmunta I.
Treści polityczne i propagandowe ('Art at the Court of
Sigismund 1. Political and propaganda content'), which is
due to be published in September 2005.
** Quotes taken from the Douay-Rheims Bible.
Mieczysław Morka
(1505-1569) w ośmiowierszu Zamku Krakowskiego wchodzącego w skład wydanego
w 1562 r. Zwierzyńca: Żeby on Salomon w owej swej zacności. Mógł tu swój stan rozsze-
rzyć w wielkiej obfitości, lecz przede wszystkim manifestacja, jakąjest tondo, na którym
princeps fundator został na wieki utrwalony jako król „nowego Izraela".
The Sigismund Chapel. King Solomon, princeps fundator*
Analysing the works of researchers interested thus
far in the decorative content of the Sigismund
Chapel, built in the years 1517-38, the author lays
emphasis on how the majority of such studies has
been carried out on the basis of neo-Platonic phi-
losophy. In the meantime there remains no elear
proof that the Chapefs founder was even familiar
with such philosophy; much the same as in the case
of its creator, the Italian architect and sculptor
Bartolomeo Berrecci (ca. 1480-1537), born in
Pontassieve near Florence. In preparing his mono-
graph on the building and investigating for years the
artist's creative works, Stanis3aw Mossakowski has
proved that he was employed in the great Florentine
workshop of Giuliano da San Gallo the elder and
Benedetto da Rovezzano. The author of this article
points out the mistakes in interpretation made by
Lech Kalinowski in his now classical study, as well
as the lack of understanding for the reign of
Sigismund I revealed in an article by Karol
Estreicher (ftn. no. 4 in main text). He also refers to
what he considers to be an unconvincing article by
Karolina Targosz, devotcd to the exclusively neo-
Platonic content of the Chapel's decoration (ftn. no.
2), as well as the wholly fantastical deductions of
Kinga Sapetowa (ftn. no. 3), who sought in the inte-
rior decor erotic themes connected with the monarch
and his first wife, Barbara Zapolya, the death of
whom in 1515 supposedly inspired the king to have
the building erected.
The main premises for the author's analysis is the
fact that the Chapel was raised during the king's life-
time, serving the monarch residing in the immediate
vicinity as a private place of prayer. Themes of a re-
ligious and eschatological content thus had to be in-
cluded in its interior furbishing, as well as the principle
premises of the monarch's political ideology. It is pos-
sible that these were supplemented with messages
propagating the premises of the Jagiellonians' dynastie
politics. The Chapel's interna! structure (ills. 1-2)
was decorated from the western side by the quota-
tion DOMINE DILEKISTI DECORAM DOMVS
TVAE taken from Psalm 25:8 (T have loved, O
Lord, the beauty of thy house'), while on the south-
ern side were inscribed the sentiments NON NOBIS
DOMINE NON NOBIS SED NOMINI TVO con-
tained in the first verse of Psalm 113(B) ('Not to us,
O Lord, not to us, but to thy name'). A shield was
also placed with the inscription relating to the first
stages of construction as well as a eulogy by Andrzej
Krzycki, while the cupola was decorated with a dou-
ble crown and cupid presented as an angel carrying
the cross (ill. 14). In the interior furnishing reference
is made to the wall decoration up to the cornice line,
in which further quotations from the Psalms were
placed (ill. 8) in the entrance CONFITEANTYR TIBI
DOMINI OMNES GEN (based a verse contained in
no. 137: 'May all the [gen-tes] of the earth give glory
to Thee')-continued in the altar wall with sentiments
taken from Psalm 143:10: [TES] QVI DAT
SALVTEM REGIBUS ('Who givest salvation to
kings'; ill. 11). The quotation DEVS IVDICIVM
TVVM REGI DA placed in the wall with the royal
stall (ill. 9) comes from the first verse of Psalm 71:
('Give to the king thy judgment') while the words
BEATI QVI IN DOMINE MORIVNVR inscribed in
the tomb wall (ill. 10) come from Apocalypse 14:13
('Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord').* * The
author expresses his doubt concerning the authentic-
ity of statements relating to the bas-reliefs in the wall
arches (ills. 12, 13) made by Jan Bia3ostocki, Lech
Kalinowski and Stanis3aw Mossakowski (refer to ftn.
no. 7 in main text). These statements were based ex-
clusively on the current state of knowledge, while
there remains absolutely no evidence as to the time of
the Chapel's actual construction.
* This article comprises part of a chapter bearing the same
title in the author's book titled Sztuka dworu Zygmunta I.
Treści polityczne i propagandowe ('Art at the Court of
Sigismund 1. Political and propaganda content'), which is
due to be published in September 2005.
** Quotes taken from the Douay-Rheims Bible.