Modus: Prace z historii sztuki (19.2019)

Figurę 8. Baptism of
Cornelius, painting in the
panelling on the south side
of the chancel. Photo by
Katarzyna Chrzanowska
-> see p. 48

her head toward the axis of the painting, her arms bent at the elbows stretching
out to the left. She is dressed in a floor-length dress with long sleeves and a white
collar, and a blue coat over it. To the right, behind the reclining Ananias, and
near the edge of the canvas, stands a man who leans towards the lying figurę,
while bending his left leg in the knee and extending his straightened left arm
slightly backwards. His head is turned towards Ananias. He is wearing a knee-
length red tunic with short sleeves. Behind him, on the left, by the balustradę,
fragments of another character are visible. Other than the expressive spot of red
paint that forms the outline of the costume, only a smali fragment of the head
is visible. Three morę characters are depicted behind the two already described.
The first of the three, facing the group standing at the top of the stairs, is shown
is his left profile. Behind him is a figurę in a bright turban on his head, standing,
shown en face, pointing with his raised left hand to the group of people centred
round Saint Peter. Further back, between the described characters, a fragment
of the face is visible, shown en face. At the step of the stairs separating the group
of men and Saint Peter from Ananias, there lies a smali pile of silver coins. The
background for the event is a building covered with a gable roof. Its receding
wali is enclosed between two forward-facing fragments of the wali, on which
the roof is resting. Two openings in the form of vertical rectangles, closed in
a semi circle, are visible in the wali. Halfway between them and the roof, a cornice
is running around the building. On the gable end of the walls rests a decorative
cornice markedly set forth at the corners, forming the bases for the two statues
standing on Iow pedestals. In the gable wali, topped with a smali golden bali set
on a Iow pedestal, there is a round window opening. On the right, a balcony
adjoins the row of columns. On its stone balustradę, there stands another row
of columns, supporting the pent roof above it. The background on the right is
filled with trees, while on the left we see some fragments of buildings. Clouds
are scattered across the sky.
The painting located further from the main altar on the south side features
several scenes from the history of Saint Peter, related to the conversion and bap-
tism of Cornelius (see: Figurę 8). On the left side, a fragment of the wali, which is
casting a long shadow, separates the viewer from the events that are presented in
the painting. In the foreground, at the right edge of the canvas, a group of figures
are sitting around the table, and two men are shown in front of them. Cornelius,
kneeling on the right, has his hands folded in prayer. He is dressed in a white,
knee-length tunic with rolled up sleeves, green armour, red trousers and a brown
coat with a red lining. Next to him on the left is Saint Peter, with his right leg
strongly bent and extended. In his bent right hand he is holding a silver dish,
while his bent left hand is raised above the head of the kneeling man, on whom
he is pouring water. He is wearing a blue robę that extends to the ground, form-
ing regular folds, with a brown coat thrown over the right shoulder. Behind this
group is a fragment of a table covered with a red tablecloth, where three men
are sitting. Visible from the profile, just at the right edge of the canvas, a man
holds his left hand on the open book lying on the table. He turns to the man at
the top of the table, pointing his right hand towards him in the gesture, which
signifies that he is explaining something. The figurę in the centre is facing him,
and the man’s face is shown at three-quarters length. He rests his right hand on
the book that is upright on the table, while the index finger of his raised left hand

60

ARTICLES

Katarzyna Chrzanowska