DOI Artikel:
Chrzanowski, Tadeusz: Uzupełnienia do biografii Tomasza Tretera
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12455#0166
162
TADEUSZ CHRZANOWSKI
A SUPPLEMENT TO TOMASZ TRETER'S BIOGRAPHY
Summary
A priest (canon of the basilica Sta Maria in Trastevere in Rome, and later on Warmian custodian), poet, historian
and artist cultivating both easel painting and graphies. Tomasz Treter has as a matter of fact a fairly ample bibliography
which, however. is far from explaining ail the gaps in the story of his life. When working on the monograph of
Treter's artistic activity the author carried out a number of archivai examinations both in Poland and Italy, which revealed
some unknown or little known materials that would shed a new light on the artist's works and personality. The
présent article is but a commentary to the above materials published as the annex in Polish and Latin versions, the
latter supplemented by Polish translation.
Born in Poznań (1547) and deceased in Frombork in 1610, Treter was a pupil of Cardinal Stanisław Hozjusz, a great
partisan and leader of the Counter-Reformation, whose secretary he remained till the Cardinal's death. Hozjusz's personality
had a very strong impact on both Treter's psyche and creativity. Ail his life the artist belonged to the circle of people
close to the Cardinal, that is the followers of the Polish Counter-Reformation which at the same time was strongly
penetrated by the représentatives of towns. themselves often of German origin. though thoroughly polonized and emphasizing
their Polish features and patriotism, as did Treter himself. The following persons played an outstanding role in
Treter's life: Marcin Kromer, a townsman from Biecz, Warmia bishop and famous historian at the time, author
of the history of our country and its description; Treter's senior, Stanisław Reszka, also a pupil of Hozjusz, Jędrzejów
Abbot, active in diplomacy first of ail, himself an envoy of the Polish kings to the Holy city and the court of Naples;
Tomasz Płaza, a canon from Wiślica and faithful partisan of Kromer in Cracow where he was a parish priest at St.
Stephen's church, also the author of an extremely interesting correspondence, so far only partially published; Andrzej Batory,
an nephew of king Stephen Batory, very young cardinal who succeeded Kromer in the post of the Warmia bishop;
and last but not least Szymon Rudnicki, a successive (after Batory and Tylicki) bishop of Warmia. Furthermore, one
is not to neglect the role of queen Ann Jagiellonka in Treter's career for she appointed him to be her secretary and
représentative in Rome.
The oldest known letter by Treter from around 1569, which was written to Płaza, when accompanied by Hozjusz
he was journaying to Rome to remain there some 20 years, reveals a good knowledge of Polish by the pupil of the
Jesuit College in Braniewo.
After Cardinal Hozjusz's death in 1579 the artist, who had handwritten the defunct's last will containing also some
codiciles concerning his person, become a sub-deacon of the Canonical College at the basilica Sta Maria in Trastevere.
It was Mark Sitticus ab Altemps (Hochenems in German) who succeeded Hozjusz in the post of the titular cardinal of
the basilica and whose support helped Treter to become a secretary of the Chapter. The volume Acta et Décréta Capituli
S. Mariae Transtyberium... written down mostly by Treter is but a very interesting source of information ibout t rie
impetous cardinal, a former soldier and a poorly educted but at the same time a fervently devout Catholic. To celebrate
the icon of Sta Maria délia Clémenza Altemps founded a beautiful and rich chapel an with interesting iconographie
programme, which adjoined the basilica. Following Carlo Bartelli's supposition it turns out that Treter's position as
a Cardinal's advisor and author of the programme of the chapel was of significance, the programme itself propagating
Counter-Reformation subjects by emphasizing the role of the Trent Council (frescoes by Pasquale Cati).
In view of contemporary customs the letter written by Reszka to Treter in 1583 is of peculiar interest; it contained
instructions concerning the préparations for young prince Andrzej Batory's visit to Rome. The possible participation of
Treter in forming the conception of the tomb of Andrzej Batory in Barczewo executed by Willem van den Blocke,
a Gdańsk sculptor coming from the* Low Countries, is still to be cleared up.
Also obscure are the reasons of his sudden résignation from the post he held in the chapter and unexpected
return to Poland in 1593. During the 17 years of his stay in Frombork the artistic activity of Treter was gradually decreasing.
He himself executed only heraldic miniature and drawings, whereas it was Błażej Treter, his nephew, who engraved,
though not perfectly to be précise, copper-plate engravings after Tomasz, which were published in Braniewo by Jerzy
Schônfels.
In the time in question Tomasz Treter was instrumental in executing the famous map of the Grand Duchy of
Lithuania, known also through its later éditions. For the purpose he acted as a middle-man between prince Mikołaj
Krzysztof Radziwiłł nicknamed "the Orphan" and Antwerp engravers. On the grounds of the above facts one may consider
the artist to be a designer of some of the copper-plate engravings, in particular the symbolic one with "sailing trophies",
that decorated the Antwerp édition of Hierosolymitana pérégrination by Radziwiłł, which he had ełaborated and translated
into Latin.
Some dozen letters in Polish written by Treter from Frombork to bishop Rudnicki in Lidzbark do not shed new light
on the artistic activities of their author; on the other hand, they are but a valuable document of Treter's own character and
contemporary customs. In the light of the above correspondence Treter appears to be an intelligent man with a sense of
humour, whose command of Polish was excellent. We may regret only that — as Hozjusz put it — neither Treter nor
Reszka wrote their works in Polish, for undoubtedly they would be more vivid and comprehensive to us.
TADEUSZ CHRZANOWSKI
A SUPPLEMENT TO TOMASZ TRETER'S BIOGRAPHY
Summary
A priest (canon of the basilica Sta Maria in Trastevere in Rome, and later on Warmian custodian), poet, historian
and artist cultivating both easel painting and graphies. Tomasz Treter has as a matter of fact a fairly ample bibliography
which, however. is far from explaining ail the gaps in the story of his life. When working on the monograph of
Treter's artistic activity the author carried out a number of archivai examinations both in Poland and Italy, which revealed
some unknown or little known materials that would shed a new light on the artist's works and personality. The
présent article is but a commentary to the above materials published as the annex in Polish and Latin versions, the
latter supplemented by Polish translation.
Born in Poznań (1547) and deceased in Frombork in 1610, Treter was a pupil of Cardinal Stanisław Hozjusz, a great
partisan and leader of the Counter-Reformation, whose secretary he remained till the Cardinal's death. Hozjusz's personality
had a very strong impact on both Treter's psyche and creativity. Ail his life the artist belonged to the circle of people
close to the Cardinal, that is the followers of the Polish Counter-Reformation which at the same time was strongly
penetrated by the représentatives of towns. themselves often of German origin. though thoroughly polonized and emphasizing
their Polish features and patriotism, as did Treter himself. The following persons played an outstanding role in
Treter's life: Marcin Kromer, a townsman from Biecz, Warmia bishop and famous historian at the time, author
of the history of our country and its description; Treter's senior, Stanisław Reszka, also a pupil of Hozjusz, Jędrzejów
Abbot, active in diplomacy first of ail, himself an envoy of the Polish kings to the Holy city and the court of Naples;
Tomasz Płaza, a canon from Wiślica and faithful partisan of Kromer in Cracow where he was a parish priest at St.
Stephen's church, also the author of an extremely interesting correspondence, so far only partially published; Andrzej Batory,
an nephew of king Stephen Batory, very young cardinal who succeeded Kromer in the post of the Warmia bishop;
and last but not least Szymon Rudnicki, a successive (after Batory and Tylicki) bishop of Warmia. Furthermore, one
is not to neglect the role of queen Ann Jagiellonka in Treter's career for she appointed him to be her secretary and
représentative in Rome.
The oldest known letter by Treter from around 1569, which was written to Płaza, when accompanied by Hozjusz
he was journaying to Rome to remain there some 20 years, reveals a good knowledge of Polish by the pupil of the
Jesuit College in Braniewo.
After Cardinal Hozjusz's death in 1579 the artist, who had handwritten the defunct's last will containing also some
codiciles concerning his person, become a sub-deacon of the Canonical College at the basilica Sta Maria in Trastevere.
It was Mark Sitticus ab Altemps (Hochenems in German) who succeeded Hozjusz in the post of the titular cardinal of
the basilica and whose support helped Treter to become a secretary of the Chapter. The volume Acta et Décréta Capituli
S. Mariae Transtyberium... written down mostly by Treter is but a very interesting source of information ibout t rie
impetous cardinal, a former soldier and a poorly educted but at the same time a fervently devout Catholic. To celebrate
the icon of Sta Maria délia Clémenza Altemps founded a beautiful and rich chapel an with interesting iconographie
programme, which adjoined the basilica. Following Carlo Bartelli's supposition it turns out that Treter's position as
a Cardinal's advisor and author of the programme of the chapel was of significance, the programme itself propagating
Counter-Reformation subjects by emphasizing the role of the Trent Council (frescoes by Pasquale Cati).
In view of contemporary customs the letter written by Reszka to Treter in 1583 is of peculiar interest; it contained
instructions concerning the préparations for young prince Andrzej Batory's visit to Rome. The possible participation of
Treter in forming the conception of the tomb of Andrzej Batory in Barczewo executed by Willem van den Blocke,
a Gdańsk sculptor coming from the* Low Countries, is still to be cleared up.
Also obscure are the reasons of his sudden résignation from the post he held in the chapter and unexpected
return to Poland in 1593. During the 17 years of his stay in Frombork the artistic activity of Treter was gradually decreasing.
He himself executed only heraldic miniature and drawings, whereas it was Błażej Treter, his nephew, who engraved,
though not perfectly to be précise, copper-plate engravings after Tomasz, which were published in Braniewo by Jerzy
Schônfels.
In the time in question Tomasz Treter was instrumental in executing the famous map of the Grand Duchy of
Lithuania, known also through its later éditions. For the purpose he acted as a middle-man between prince Mikołaj
Krzysztof Radziwiłł nicknamed "the Orphan" and Antwerp engravers. On the grounds of the above facts one may consider
the artist to be a designer of some of the copper-plate engravings, in particular the symbolic one with "sailing trophies",
that decorated the Antwerp édition of Hierosolymitana pérégrination by Radziwiłł, which he had ełaborated and translated
into Latin.
Some dozen letters in Polish written by Treter from Frombork to bishop Rudnicki in Lidzbark do not shed new light
on the artistic activities of their author; on the other hand, they are but a valuable document of Treter's own character and
contemporary customs. In the light of the above correspondence Treter appears to be an intelligent man with a sense of
humour, whose command of Polish was excellent. We may regret only that — as Hozjusz put it — neither Treter nor
Reszka wrote their works in Polish, for undoubtedly they would be more vivid and comprehensive to us.