Bulletin du Musée National de Varsovie (30.1989)

ausschlieBlieh nach kfinstleriseher Qualitat, sondern primiir nach Popularitat mid Bedeutung
ausgewiihlt, wobei didaktische Absichten, kiinstlerische Qualitiit, Lokalpatriotismus und viel-
leicht noch andere Motive einander durchdrangen. Noch um 1900 lieB der Weimarer Zeichen-
lehrer Otto Rasch aus der dortigen Landesbibliothek einige plastische Werke zu Studienzwecken
in die Kunstschule bringen und wahlte dafur selbstverstandlich auch Gottlieb Martin Klauers
(1742—1801) Goethe-Biiste aus21.

21. Wilhelm Bodc, „Martin Klaucr", in: Slunden mit Goethe, Bd. V, Heft 4, Berlin, 1909, S. 241—288, hier S. 242.

Paulira Rutkowska

AN ALABASTER GROUP OF TK.r: RESURRECTION IN THE NATIONAL

MUSEUI.I IN WARSAW

The collection of alabaster sculptures in the National Museum in Warsaw includes among
others a smali group representing the Resurrection (Fig. I)1. The sculpture is free-standing,
carved from three sides and hollowed in the back. A rectangular sarcophagus with its cover
raised (its two circular handles are visible on the right, narrower side) fills up nearly the entire
length of the composition. From the sarcophagus Christ emerges looking to the left. Jesus wears
an ample mantle flowing down and overhanging the cover of the tomb2. The mantle allows
to see His naked leg, exccssively fragile (with a foot knocked off) stepping out of the sarcophagus.
The part of His chest with the ribs delicately marked as well as the upper part of His stomach
with the navel are also visible. His other leg enveloped by the mantle is only suggested by the
imprint of the knee and the thigh under the drapery. It seems as if disappearing in the sarco-
phagus. Across the right arm of Christ (with the hand knocked off) the edge of the mantle hangs —
its line bisects the figurę from the right to the left3. The face of Jesus with the traces of the
Passion, the half-open mouth which recalls the recent martyrdom give the impression of the
painful peace. Smooth, slightly wavy hair parted in the middle of His head flows down to the
shoulders (Fig. 2). The left arm is missing. The hands must have been affixed by means of round
pins, the traces of which are now visible in the scuplture. Across the Christ's chest there is a buckie
in the shape of a rosette. In front of the sarcophagus reclines a figurę of a sleeping armoured

1. Inv. Sr. 412, while, now creani-colored alabaster, not polychromed, dimensions 23,7 X X 28,5 X 12,5 cm.

2. L. Reau, Iconographie de l'arl chretien, II, Iconographie tle la Bibie, II, Nvuveau Testament, Faris, 1957, p. 510 fi*, cites H.
Sehrade*s opinion uf 1932 that tlie Christ emerging from the sarcophagus is an iconographical reflcx of the scenc of the
Resurrection of the Dcads during the Last Judgement. Reau quotes various iconographie variants (p. 515): as the third
of these variants — Christus uno pede exlra sepulerum — the theme that corresponds to the design of the Warsaw group.
The hasis of the pictorial representation are the verses of the Gospel of St. Marcus XVI, 1—1: (three Holy Women are
coming to the empty Tomb = the Latin versiou) and St. Malthcw XXVIII, 1—7 (two Holy Women — the Eastern version).
The event itsclf had no witnesses. St. John the Evangelist descrihes the coming of „the second disciple1' beforc St. Peter,
the finding of the shroud by this „second disciple", the arrival of the Myrrophorae (XX, 1—5). Out of these clciuents
the artist created his composition. The Holy Women and the Disciple intensify the atmosphere of profound depressioll,
the cover of the sarcophagus, tightly locking tlie Tomb, has to evidence the miraculous character of the event. It is a simul-
taneous representation of three events — the Resurrection, the coming of St, John the Evangelist and the arrival of the
Holy Women to the empty Tomb.

3. Christ rrught have carried a banner — the symbol of the yiclory — in His hand, see L. Kćan, op. cii., p. 515.

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