Tożsamość i historia w sztuce małopolskich środowisk zakonnych XVII i XVIII wieku

Abstract

Baroque brought about an increase of the interest in historical subjects in monastic circles. A tendency towards vivid illustration of abstract concepts and towards creating complete programmes ideologically and structurally, that was characteristic of the epoch, produced literary and artistic synthesis of monastic ideas and history, in which hagiographic trend is more and more difficult to be separated from growing historical interests preceding the historical thought of the Enlightenment. Complete analysis of the formation of historical awareness in monastic communities goes beyond the boundaries of the presentation; what we focus on are the examples of art (mainly monastic) of Cracow and its surroundings. Comprehensive treatments of the decor glorifying the monastic history are constituted by: conversion of the interior of the Corpus Christi church in the Cracow district of Kazimierz (1612- 44), decoration of the library at the monastery of Carmelites in Piasek near Cracow (1698), baroque modifications of the interiors of the churches of Cistercians in Jedrzejow (1734-9), Franciscans in Nowy Korczyn (1753-61), Custodians of the Holy Grave in Miechów (1765-71). The historical motifs were related to the cult of the founders (“history” of Casimir the Restorer in the Tyniec series of paintings, 1643-4; baroque modifications of the churches of Norbertines in Imbramowice 1717-25, Benedictines in Staniatki 1759-62), history of the church in Poland was glorified through the cult of the Polish saints (e.g. the decor of the Jesuit church of St. Peter and St. Paul’s 1619-33, the university church of St. Anne’s 1695-1703). Historical interests in creating ersatz geography (“transferring” pilgrimage centres to the vicinity of Cracow), noticeable already in Miechów (the Lord’s Grave, ca. 1530), are typical of the first half of 17th century (Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Alwernia). Analysis of the monastic culture and art of the era of crisis of the Republic demands a verification of the thesis that monasteries were the reservations of backwardness. The image of the Polish culture of baroque is defective: the domination of religious art over secular one corresponds to early medieval proportions. Presenting notions in terms of emblems, anachronous for 18th century, is barely a substitute of intellectual speculation. However, it would be worth considering, what would have happened with the Polish culture if there had not been even those anachronous phenomena.