Modus: Prace z historii sztuki (15.2015)

Zbigniew Oleśnicki, who was apparently the most impor-
tant founder of the works of art and architecture of that
period^. One of them was constructed in 1440 in the two
western bays of the northern aisle of Cracow Cathedral,
which was the result of the alterations made by the bishop
to the adjoining Clock TowerA It has the form of a groin
vault with a horizontal ridge covered in each bay with two
intersecting formations of three parallel ribs^.
Such a pattern, somewhat odd, albeit original, has no
literal counterparts in the architecture of the first half of
the 15^ century. Frazik suggested that the Cracow con-
struction is a unique copy of the mid-i4^-century timber
nave vault at York Minster (c. 1345-1360), yet devoid of the
ridge ribs^, while Marek Walczak treated it admittedly as
a copy, but transmitted via architectural drawings^. It is
true that the ground pattern of the Cracow vault is simi-
lar to the triple-rib crosses from the English Minster, but
its general character is markedly different, due to narrow
proportions of the bays, more pitched spatial structure,
and sharp and "aggressive" ribs with no decorative bosses,
which are featured in York. The suggestion of an indirect English influence gains
more credibility when we consider that Polish contact with the English became
both friendlier and more frequent after the great battle of Grunwald (German Thtt-
HCH&erg), and that the Polish king Casimir IV Jagiellon received the Order of the
Garter^. The church at Seeon may have taken on the role of a transmitter, in this
case with its nave vault. The multiplication of rhomboid cells on the ridge of the
vault, the steep section of the barrel and sharp profiles of the ribs with just marginal
use of bosses are common features of both the Seeon and Cracow constructions.
As the Bavarian church was consecrated in 1433 and the Cracow vault erected in
1440, a direct link cannot be excluded.
In Cracow there are two more mid-i5^-century lierne vaults which were almost
certainly inspired by the Canterbury nave pattern transmitted to Lesser Poland
most probably via Seeon, and perhaps simultaneously via geographically far closer

30. Cracow-Kazimierz,
St Catherine, vauit of the
choir. Photo: author

94 M. Walczak, Remarks on Late-Gotkic Vaaits in Lesser Poland. Pke Role of tke Poander In tke
Stadies of Gotkic Arckitectare In Central Parope, in: Seminaria Niedzickie, vol. 7: GolRic Arcki-
tectares in Poland, PoRemia, Slovakia, and Hangary, Cracow 1992, pp. 43-47; idem, Przemiany
arcRilekloniczne katedry krakowskiej w pierwszej połowie XV wieka i ieR związek z działalnością
/andncyjną kardynała ZRigniewa Oleśnickiego, "Studia Waweliana", 1,1992, pp. 7-28; idem,
Działalnoscfandacyjna Riskapa krakowskiego, kardynała ZRigniewa Oleśnickiego,"Folia Historiae
Artium", part one: 28,1992, pp. 57-73, part two: 30,1994, pp. 63-84. See also: idem, MekoTko
avak 0 arckitektare neskorogotickyck mestianskyck kapiniekpri Aiarianskom kostoie v Xrakove',
in: D. Borutova, S. Oriśko (eds.), Poeta Vaclavovi Menclovi. ZRornik stada" k otazkam interpretacie
stredoearopskeko amenia, Bratislava, 2000, pp. 193-208.
95 M. Walczak, Remarks, p. 45; idem, Działalnosc/nndacyjna Riskapa krakowskiego, pars one, p. 68;
idem, Przemiany arckitektoniczne katedry, pp. 27-28.
96 In the eastern bay the sections of two ribs are missing.
97 Cf. I.T. Frazik, Sklepienia źekrowe, p. 536.
98 Walczak, Przemiany arckitektoniczne katedry, pp. 27-28; idem, Dzialainoscfandacyjna Riskapa
krakowskiego, pars two, pp. 65-66,70.
99 Walczak, Remarks, p. 47 idem, Dzialainoscfandacyjna Riskapa krakowskiego, pars two, p. 70.

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

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