DOI Heft:
Summary
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26699#0161
Summary
MINIATURES FROM THE SIKTEENTH TO THE EIGHTEENTH
CENTURY IN THE LIBRI PROMOTIONUM AND DILIGENTIARUM OF
THE JAGELLONIAN UNIYERSITY
The Jagellonian University has a series of six books belonging to the former Faculty of Liberał
Arts, and known as libri promotionum and diligentiarum where academic graduations as well as
lectures and disputations were recorded. From the middle of the sixteenth century up to the carly
eighteenth century the books were ornamented with miniatures painted by University students and
graduands. The miniatures provide valuable materiał for the history of the University’s intellectual
culture during a period noted for the deep crisis in the Uniyersity brought about by the temporary
defeat of humanistic trends, coupled with the generał regression of research standards, and social
isolation; actually, this long crisis was to terminate only as łatę as the second half of the eighteenth
century, pursuant to Hugo Kołfątaj’s basie educational reform. It was then too that the Baroąue
period in the history of the Uniyersity was subjected to a keen criticism, an opinion which was to be
shared during the next two centuries. Thoughundoubtedly right, this view tended rather to discourage
studies about this particular period, which in conseąuence caused a gap in the literaturę concerned
with the University’s history during the seyenteenth and early eighteenth century.
The pictorial decoration of Uniyersity books appeared in the seyenties of the sixteenth century,
first under the form of initials and yignettes (Figs, 1, 2), later supplemented with borders, emblems,
and finałly with complete allegoric compositions. At first the ornamentation was following
the patterns of Renaissance grotesąue; later, at the end of the sixteenth century, it resorted
also to Netherlandish cartouches and the so-calłed strapwork (Fig. 3). Figuratiye motifs
appear at the turn of the seyeteenth century, following the local patterns of the Renais-
sance sepulchral sculpture (Figs. 5, 6). During the thirties of the seyenteenth century
the grotesąue ornaments were transformed after the model of Gothicizing forms, partly under the
influence of Netherlandish drawings bestowed upon the Uniyersity Library by Abbot Ponętowski
and eyidently akin in style (Fig. 7). From the middle of the seyenteenth century promotiye decoration
assumes a form borrowed from altar retables, at first in a Late Renaissance Netherlandish style (Fig. 8),
sometimes modelled after Italian patterns (Figs. 11, 12), and later with forms characteristic of the
Baroąue style (Fig. 13). The decoration appearing in the Uniyersity books is markedly belated when
compared with the stylistic forms in contemporary Polish art. Moreoyer, in character it is sometimes
akin to forms typical of folk art (Fig. 4).
In the libri diligentiarum at that time an allegoric genre decoration was born, with a marked
preyalence of emblematic elements. The turn of the eighteenth century put a check to
the proyincial character of miniatures, a fact due to the artistic moyements associated
with the erection of the Uniyersity (St. Ann’s) Church at which a great many eminent
artists were employed. Now the miniatures appear in Late Baroąue form, an eyident reflection of
Balthasar Fontana’s stucco decoration of St. Ann’s Church interior (Figs. 17—22).
153
MINIATURES FROM THE SIKTEENTH TO THE EIGHTEENTH
CENTURY IN THE LIBRI PROMOTIONUM AND DILIGENTIARUM OF
THE JAGELLONIAN UNIYERSITY
The Jagellonian University has a series of six books belonging to the former Faculty of Liberał
Arts, and known as libri promotionum and diligentiarum where academic graduations as well as
lectures and disputations were recorded. From the middle of the sixteenth century up to the carly
eighteenth century the books were ornamented with miniatures painted by University students and
graduands. The miniatures provide valuable materiał for the history of the University’s intellectual
culture during a period noted for the deep crisis in the Uniyersity brought about by the temporary
defeat of humanistic trends, coupled with the generał regression of research standards, and social
isolation; actually, this long crisis was to terminate only as łatę as the second half of the eighteenth
century, pursuant to Hugo Kołfątaj’s basie educational reform. It was then too that the Baroąue
period in the history of the Uniyersity was subjected to a keen criticism, an opinion which was to be
shared during the next two centuries. Thoughundoubtedly right, this view tended rather to discourage
studies about this particular period, which in conseąuence caused a gap in the literaturę concerned
with the University’s history during the seyenteenth and early eighteenth century.
The pictorial decoration of Uniyersity books appeared in the seyenties of the sixteenth century,
first under the form of initials and yignettes (Figs, 1, 2), later supplemented with borders, emblems,
and finałly with complete allegoric compositions. At first the ornamentation was following
the patterns of Renaissance grotesąue; later, at the end of the sixteenth century, it resorted
also to Netherlandish cartouches and the so-calłed strapwork (Fig. 3). Figuratiye motifs
appear at the turn of the seyeteenth century, following the local patterns of the Renais-
sance sepulchral sculpture (Figs. 5, 6). During the thirties of the seyenteenth century
the grotesąue ornaments were transformed after the model of Gothicizing forms, partly under the
influence of Netherlandish drawings bestowed upon the Uniyersity Library by Abbot Ponętowski
and eyidently akin in style (Fig. 7). From the middle of the seyenteenth century promotiye decoration
assumes a form borrowed from altar retables, at first in a Late Renaissance Netherlandish style (Fig. 8),
sometimes modelled after Italian patterns (Figs. 11, 12), and later with forms characteristic of the
Baroąue style (Fig. 13). The decoration appearing in the Uniyersity books is markedly belated when
compared with the stylistic forms in contemporary Polish art. Moreoyer, in character it is sometimes
akin to forms typical of folk art (Fig. 4).
In the libri diligentiarum at that time an allegoric genre decoration was born, with a marked
preyalence of emblematic elements. The turn of the eighteenth century put a check to
the proyincial character of miniatures, a fact due to the artistic moyements associated
with the erection of the Uniyersity (St. Ann’s) Church at which a great many eminent
artists were employed. Now the miniatures appear in Late Baroąue form, an eyident reflection of
Balthasar Fontana’s stucco decoration of St. Ann’s Church interior (Figs. 17—22).
153