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DOI Artikel:Kemperl, Metoda: Villa de Seppi at Hrastnik and the Painters Eduard Lebiedzki and Constanze von Breuning: Unknown Paintings
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.71008#0346
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Metoda Kemperl
9. Constanze von Breuning, Supraporta with the Allegory of diligence, 1894, Villa de Seppi,
Hrastnik. Foto M. Kemperl
A painting of St Bishop, a signed and dated work by Constanze von Breuning from
1896 measuring 180><100 cm, was also brought from the chapel to the Hrastnik Parish
Church.98 It was probably the main altarpiece depicting the titular patron saint who can no
longer be identified. With the upper part of the painting semi-circular, its frame is rectan-
gular, which suggests that it might have been a part of a retable.
The first Lebiedzki's painting depicts St Thomas Aquinas (identified on the basis of his
Dominican Order attire and the attribute: the glittering star above his head) kneeling with
open arms before a Franciscan who is in a blessing pose. The scene takes place in a church
with Baroque architectural elements and Gothic or Neo-Gothic furnishing. Behind St Tho-
mas Aquinas, there are three Dominicans sitting on a choir bench. The Franciscan blessing
Thomas Aquinas is probably St Bonaventura and certainly not St Francis of Assisi.99 Bo-
naventura was Thomas's contemporary and his friend with whom he supposedly studied
in Paris. The Dominican Thomas Aquinas later became the most important Dominican
preacher and professor of theology in Paris, while Bonaventura became Minister General
of the Franciscan Order, Cardinal and Bishop of Alban. Both Bonaventura and Thomas
Aquinas were declared Doctors (teachers) of the Church, as they are considered the most
distinguished theologians of high Scholasticism.100 Their meetings were often depicted by
painters. For example, in 1629 Francisco de Zurbaran painted St Bonaventura showing his
book and a crucifix to St Thomas Aquinas, and in 1659 he made a painting entitled St
Bonaventura visiting St Thomas Aquinas.101 This may be helpful in determining the ico-
98 RESMAN et al., Upravna enota, p. 92.
99 As noted in the Hrastnik topography, RESMAN et al., Upravna enota, p. 92.
100 Maks MIKLAVCIC and Joze DOLENC, Leto svetnikov, 1, Ljubljana 1968, pp. 638-648; Maks MIKLAVCIC and
Joze DOLENC, Leto svetnikov, 3, Ljubljana 1972, pp. 122-124; Gregor Martin LECHNER, "Thomas von Aquino",
Lexikon der christlichen Ikonographie. Ikonographie der Heiligen, 8, Rom, Freiburg, Basel, Wien, 1994, p. 476-483;
Gerlach van's HERTOGENBORCH, Oktavian SCHMUCKI, "Bonaventura von Bagnoreggio", Lexikon der christli-
chen Ikonographie. Ikonographie der Heiligen, 5, Rom, Freiburg, Basel, Wien, 1994, p. 420-425.
101 Jeaninne BATICLE, „Catalogue," in Zurbaran, ed. J. P. O' NEILL, New York, 1987. The meeting between these two
saints is also interpreted as a confrontation between the Vita activa and the Vita contemplativa (LECHNER, „Thomas
von Aquino", p. 480).
Metoda Kemperl
9. Constanze von Breuning, Supraporta with the Allegory of diligence, 1894, Villa de Seppi,
Hrastnik. Foto M. Kemperl
A painting of St Bishop, a signed and dated work by Constanze von Breuning from
1896 measuring 180><100 cm, was also brought from the chapel to the Hrastnik Parish
Church.98 It was probably the main altarpiece depicting the titular patron saint who can no
longer be identified. With the upper part of the painting semi-circular, its frame is rectan-
gular, which suggests that it might have been a part of a retable.
The first Lebiedzki's painting depicts St Thomas Aquinas (identified on the basis of his
Dominican Order attire and the attribute: the glittering star above his head) kneeling with
open arms before a Franciscan who is in a blessing pose. The scene takes place in a church
with Baroque architectural elements and Gothic or Neo-Gothic furnishing. Behind St Tho-
mas Aquinas, there are three Dominicans sitting on a choir bench. The Franciscan blessing
Thomas Aquinas is probably St Bonaventura and certainly not St Francis of Assisi.99 Bo-
naventura was Thomas's contemporary and his friend with whom he supposedly studied
in Paris. The Dominican Thomas Aquinas later became the most important Dominican
preacher and professor of theology in Paris, while Bonaventura became Minister General
of the Franciscan Order, Cardinal and Bishop of Alban. Both Bonaventura and Thomas
Aquinas were declared Doctors (teachers) of the Church, as they are considered the most
distinguished theologians of high Scholasticism.100 Their meetings were often depicted by
painters. For example, in 1629 Francisco de Zurbaran painted St Bonaventura showing his
book and a crucifix to St Thomas Aquinas, and in 1659 he made a painting entitled St
Bonaventura visiting St Thomas Aquinas.101 This may be helpful in determining the ico-
98 RESMAN et al., Upravna enota, p. 92.
99 As noted in the Hrastnik topography, RESMAN et al., Upravna enota, p. 92.
100 Maks MIKLAVCIC and Joze DOLENC, Leto svetnikov, 1, Ljubljana 1968, pp. 638-648; Maks MIKLAVCIC and
Joze DOLENC, Leto svetnikov, 3, Ljubljana 1972, pp. 122-124; Gregor Martin LECHNER, "Thomas von Aquino",
Lexikon der christlichen Ikonographie. Ikonographie der Heiligen, 8, Rom, Freiburg, Basel, Wien, 1994, p. 476-483;
Gerlach van's HERTOGENBORCH, Oktavian SCHMUCKI, "Bonaventura von Bagnoreggio", Lexikon der christli-
chen Ikonographie. Ikonographie der Heiligen, 5, Rom, Freiburg, Basel, Wien, 1994, p. 420-425.
101 Jeaninne BATICLE, „Catalogue," in Zurbaran, ed. J. P. O' NEILL, New York, 1987. The meeting between these two
saints is also interpreted as a confrontation between the Vita activa and the Vita contemplativa (LECHNER, „Thomas
von Aquino", p. 480).