DOI Artikel:
Chrzanowska, Katarzyna: Boazerie w prezbiterium kościoła pod wezwaniem św. Jana Chrzciciela w Skalbmierzu
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51255#0066
The last of the paintings decorating the panelling of Skalbmierz depicts Our
Lady of Mount Carmel (see: Figurę 4). The choice of this iconographic type
could have resulted from the fact that before the fire, the panelling was adjoining
a smali altar, in which this particular a representation of the Mother of God was
located.40 With the view to the fact that, after the fire, the decision was madę to
model the reconstructed main altar on the destroyed structure from the seven-
teenth century,41 and the paintings fitted in the new panelling were originally
madę in the seventeenth century and repainted at the beginning of the twentieth
century, it seems possible that when ordering a new work to replace an element
that was probably destroyed or severely damaged by fire, the intention was to
create a continuation of the former decor of the chanceL
The composition taken from the work of Rafael, and the other two represen-
tations showing scenes from the life of Saint Peter, are illustrations of the fourth
volume of Icones Biblicae by Matthaus Merian the Elder, published in 1627 (see:
Figures 9-11).42 These prints enjoyed great popularity in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries, illustrating numerous publications of religious character,
issued in many languages.43
The author of the paintings in the panelling adopted the compositions from
Merians engravings, while adapting illustrations from rectangular prints to
the shape of the works we find at Skalbmierz, which are based on a vertical rec-
tangle - i.e. standing on its shorter side. In the painting of Baptism of Cornelius,
the painter supplemented the original representation by adding the upper part
of the building walls visible on the right, and also by adding a roof and statues
placed on the cornice. Merians composition was also supplemented with a patch
of earth, filling the lower part of the canvas up to the wali, which marks the be-
ginning of the composition taken from the graphic model. At the same time,
the original was reduced44 by fragments of the composition located at the side
edges of the print, which results in shifting the figurę of the kneeling Cornelius
in the baptism scene so close to the edge of the canvas that part of his left leg fails
to fit into the composition. The author of the work also reduced the seąuence
of events presented by Merian by one scene - namely, as in the prints illustrating
the first edition of Icones Biblicae, Saint Peter was depicted kneeling on the roof
of one of the buildings shown in the background, and God sending him a vi-
sion of animals as a meal (Acts, 10, 9-16). After removing the praying apostle
and the animals, only the white fabric flowing down from the sky remained in
Figurę 9. Death of Ananias,
Matthaus Merian the Elder,
Icones Biblicae, 1627, p. 121.
Photo by Staatsbibliothek
Bamberg, shelfmark
A.symb.q.23#4
-» see p. 49
Figurę 10. Baptism of
Cornelius, Matthaus Merian
the Elder, Icones Biblicae,
1627, p. 129. Photo by
Staatsbibliothek Bamberg,
shelfmark A.symb.q.23#4
-» see p. 49
Figurę 11. Saint Peter and
Saint John the Evangelist,
Matthaus Merian the Elder,
Icones Biblicae, 1627, p. 119.
Photo by Staatsbibliothek
Bamberg, shelfmark
A.symb.q.23#4
-» see p. 49
40 akkk, Inw. E. 35, f. 9; S. Kotarbiński, Historyczna wiadomość o kolegiacie skalbmierskiej,Pamiętnik
Religijno-Moralny”, 10,1850, p. 413; S.K. Olczak, D. Olszewski, Parafia Skalbmierz. Zarys dziejów,
Kielce 2000, pp. 73, 87.
41 kzsp, p. 85.
42 Icones Biblicae Novi Testamenti D. N. lesu Christi Prcecipuce historia? et Visionespicturis elegantissimis
in ces incisis, reprcesentatce (...) Durch Matthaeum Merian von Basel. Franctfurt bei dem Auctore
zufinden, 1627. For a detailed discussion of the Icones Biblicae, including the later application of cop-
per engraving plates prepared for this publication by Matthaus Merian the elder, see: M. Keuchen,
Bild-Konzeptionen in Bilder- und Kinderbibeln. Die historischen Anfdnge und ihre Wiederentdeckung
in der Gegenwart, vol. 1, Góttingen 2016 (= Arbeiten zur Religionspadagogik, 61), pp. 93-115.
43 Ibidem, pp. 103-105
44 The term “reduction”, describing one of the many ways of modifying the graphic blueprint is
borrowed from: Z. Michalczyk, W lustrzanym odbiciu. Grafika europejska a malarstwo w Rze-
czypospolitej w czasach nowożytnych ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem późnego baroku, Warszawa
2016, p. 147.
Panelling in the chancel of the church of Saint John the Baptist in Skalbmierz
65
Lady of Mount Carmel (see: Figurę 4). The choice of this iconographic type
could have resulted from the fact that before the fire, the panelling was adjoining
a smali altar, in which this particular a representation of the Mother of God was
located.40 With the view to the fact that, after the fire, the decision was madę to
model the reconstructed main altar on the destroyed structure from the seven-
teenth century,41 and the paintings fitted in the new panelling were originally
madę in the seventeenth century and repainted at the beginning of the twentieth
century, it seems possible that when ordering a new work to replace an element
that was probably destroyed or severely damaged by fire, the intention was to
create a continuation of the former decor of the chanceL
The composition taken from the work of Rafael, and the other two represen-
tations showing scenes from the life of Saint Peter, are illustrations of the fourth
volume of Icones Biblicae by Matthaus Merian the Elder, published in 1627 (see:
Figures 9-11).42 These prints enjoyed great popularity in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries, illustrating numerous publications of religious character,
issued in many languages.43
The author of the paintings in the panelling adopted the compositions from
Merians engravings, while adapting illustrations from rectangular prints to
the shape of the works we find at Skalbmierz, which are based on a vertical rec-
tangle - i.e. standing on its shorter side. In the painting of Baptism of Cornelius,
the painter supplemented the original representation by adding the upper part
of the building walls visible on the right, and also by adding a roof and statues
placed on the cornice. Merians composition was also supplemented with a patch
of earth, filling the lower part of the canvas up to the wali, which marks the be-
ginning of the composition taken from the graphic model. At the same time,
the original was reduced44 by fragments of the composition located at the side
edges of the print, which results in shifting the figurę of the kneeling Cornelius
in the baptism scene so close to the edge of the canvas that part of his left leg fails
to fit into the composition. The author of the work also reduced the seąuence
of events presented by Merian by one scene - namely, as in the prints illustrating
the first edition of Icones Biblicae, Saint Peter was depicted kneeling on the roof
of one of the buildings shown in the background, and God sending him a vi-
sion of animals as a meal (Acts, 10, 9-16). After removing the praying apostle
and the animals, only the white fabric flowing down from the sky remained in
Figurę 9. Death of Ananias,
Matthaus Merian the Elder,
Icones Biblicae, 1627, p. 121.
Photo by Staatsbibliothek
Bamberg, shelfmark
A.symb.q.23#4
-» see p. 49
Figurę 10. Baptism of
Cornelius, Matthaus Merian
the Elder, Icones Biblicae,
1627, p. 129. Photo by
Staatsbibliothek Bamberg,
shelfmark A.symb.q.23#4
-» see p. 49
Figurę 11. Saint Peter and
Saint John the Evangelist,
Matthaus Merian the Elder,
Icones Biblicae, 1627, p. 119.
Photo by Staatsbibliothek
Bamberg, shelfmark
A.symb.q.23#4
-» see p. 49
40 akkk, Inw. E. 35, f. 9; S. Kotarbiński, Historyczna wiadomość o kolegiacie skalbmierskiej,Pamiętnik
Religijno-Moralny”, 10,1850, p. 413; S.K. Olczak, D. Olszewski, Parafia Skalbmierz. Zarys dziejów,
Kielce 2000, pp. 73, 87.
41 kzsp, p. 85.
42 Icones Biblicae Novi Testamenti D. N. lesu Christi Prcecipuce historia? et Visionespicturis elegantissimis
in ces incisis, reprcesentatce (...) Durch Matthaeum Merian von Basel. Franctfurt bei dem Auctore
zufinden, 1627. For a detailed discussion of the Icones Biblicae, including the later application of cop-
per engraving plates prepared for this publication by Matthaus Merian the elder, see: M. Keuchen,
Bild-Konzeptionen in Bilder- und Kinderbibeln. Die historischen Anfdnge und ihre Wiederentdeckung
in der Gegenwart, vol. 1, Góttingen 2016 (= Arbeiten zur Religionspadagogik, 61), pp. 93-115.
43 Ibidem, pp. 103-105
44 The term “reduction”, describing one of the many ways of modifying the graphic blueprint is
borrowed from: Z. Michalczyk, W lustrzanym odbiciu. Grafika europejska a malarstwo w Rze-
czypospolitej w czasach nowożytnych ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem późnego baroku, Warszawa
2016, p. 147.
Panelling in the chancel of the church of Saint John the Baptist in Skalbmierz
65