Modus: Prace z historii sztuki (15.2015)

The umbrella vault of the
central octagon is a very imagi-
native and individual creation
(Fig. 25). It is divided with eight
diagonals into triangular fields,
each filled with a triradial. This
is combined with two rotating
lierne crosses with triangular
endings, touching the highest
point of a formeret on every se-
cond wall. This curious pattern
is legible mostly in its ground
plan. In the actual appearance
of the construction, the central
fountain of ribs forming an eight-
sided concave cone finds culmi-
nation in a crystal-like combination of half-cones covered with a complicated
net made of liernes and tiercerons which give an impression of architectural
splendour and virtuosity. The final effect is not fully dissimilar to the splendid
Lady Chapel vault at Wells Cathedral by Thomas of Whitney (by 1326; Fig. 26)^,
admittedly doing without a central support, but comparable in the radiating
multiplication of ribs and in the rotation of inscribed figures. It is also worth
emphasising that the superposition of diagonals and inscribed lierne crosses
is an outcome of the same sources of inspiration as the contemporary crossing
vault at Chełmża, which is perceived as the closest work to Gosławice. This is
best proved by the vault in the octagon s southern arm, which is almost identical
with the cathedral crossing, with the exception that the lowest sections of the
diagonals are missing. Therefore, it strongly resembles the vaulting experiments
of William joy, mostly in the choir aisles at Wells, for he was constantly reject-
ing the conventional diagonal ribsT This is also the case of the choir vault at
Gosławice, which was slightly altered, probably around 1900, by removing the
transversal rib and covering it with a stucco decoration^. It features a simple
four-pointed star pattern, fully devoid of diagonals. This peculiar figuration
was probably first used on the Continent at the very end of the 14^ century in
the nave of the upper church of the Floly Cross in Wrocław (German Bresfan)
in Silesia^. Yet, the west-English origin of this motif at Gosławice is much
more probable, not only due to the presence of other insular vaulting patterns
in the same church, but also because of the continuous ridge ribs on both axes
of the vault.
Paul Crossley observed that the Wells pattern of the lierne vaults without di-
agonals "seems to have had a delayed, but important, influence in Bavaria in the
early 15* century". He is here referring to the vaults by Stefan Krumenauer erected
around 1450 in the choir of the Franciscan church in Salzburg and in the nave

26. Wetts Cathedral, vault
of the Lady Chapet. Photo:
author

E

86 J. Bony, The English Decorated Style, pp. 48-49; P. Crossley, Paler Parler and England, p. 166.
87 Cf. P. Crossley, Peter Parler anti England, p. 166.
88 A. Grzybkowski, Kościół w Gosławicach, p. 279; J. Kowalski, Gotyk wielkopolski, p. 164.
89 R. Kaczmarek, Pzeźho architektoniczna X7V wieka we Wrocławia, Wrocław 1999. See also:
K.H. Clasen, Deatsche Gewdihe, pp. 65, 77; S. Burger, Pigarierte Gewolhe, pp. 80-83.

The Influence of 13^- and 14'^-century English Architecture...

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