All that was previously known about the painter Giovanni Vanetti (b. 1621 Arogno) was that in the first half of the 1650s he worked for Ottavio Piccolomini (1599–1656) in the chateau in Náchod and subsequently decorated the monastery church of the Cistercians in Neuzelle in Lower Lusatia with his paintings. Essentially, he was an unknown painter with a modest talent from whom, it was assumed, Fabián Václav Harovník (1635–1683) probably learnt the techniques of wall painting. This paper presents new findings about the origin of Giovanni Vanetti, who came from Arogno in today’s Ticino, and about the paintings he is known to have created in Náchod, in Neuzelle and in Muskau near Cottbus. It is devoted to the stylistic starting points of Vanetti in the work of Piero Francesco Mazzucchelli, known as il Morazzone, (1573–1626) and other Lombardy and Ticino painters of the first half of the 17th century. The paper however focuses especially on the interpretation of Giovanni Vanetti in the context of the artistic migration of the masters from the Lombardy-Ticino lakes, in particular of the inhabitants of the parish of Arogno. Vanetti worked in Central Europe with his brother, the stucco-worker Giulio (1626–1688), and then especially the stucco-worker Giovanni Bartolomeo Cometta (c.1620–1687). The three contemporaries from Arogno moved around Bohemia and Central Europe generally close to other artists and artistic craftsmen from Arogno, often working on commissions from the architect Carlo Lurago (1615–1684), who came from the neighbouring parish of Pellio Superiore in the Val d’Intelvi. Last but not least, the article tries to interpret anew the situation in the field of painting in Bohemia in the 1650s and 1660s, and to offer an explanation of Vanetti’s relationship to the Bohemian painter Fabián Václav Harovník, his link to the group of Lurago colleagues, and the engagement of Harovník as a painter by leading aristocrats in Bohemia in their grandiose, newly-built residences.
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O malíři Giovannim Vanettim (nar. 1621 Arogno) se dosud vědělo, že pracoval v první polovině padesátých let 17. století na zámku v Náchodě pro Ottavia Piccolominiho (1599–1656) a následně dekoroval svými malbami klášterní kostel cisterciáků v Neuzelle v Dolní Lužici. Šlo v podstatě o neznámého malíře skromného talentu, u něhož se podle předpokladu naučil Fabián Václav Harovník (1635–1683) technice nástěnné malby. Předkládaný článek přináší nová zjištění o původu Giovanniho Vanettiho, který pocházel z Arogna v dnešním Ticinu, o jeho známých realizacích v Náchodě, Neuzelle a v Muskau u Chotěbuze. Věnuje se Vanettiho stylovým východiskům v díle Piera Francesca Mazzucchelliho, zvaného il Morazzone, (1573–1626) a dalších lombardských a ticinských malířů první poloviny 17. století. Především se však článek soustředí na interpretaci Giovanniho Vanettiho v kontextu umělecké migrace mistrů od lombardsko-ticinských jezer, zejména obyvatel obce Arogno. Vanetti totiž působil ve střední Evropě společně se svým bratrem štukatérem Giuliem (1626–1688) a hlavně pak se štukatérem Giovannim Bartolomeem Comettou (asi 1620–1687). Všichni tři arognští vrstevníci se pohybovali v Čechách, a obecněji ve střední Evropě, v blízkosti dalších umělců a uměleckých řemeslníků z Arogna, kteří pracovali často napojeni na zakázky architekta Carla Luraga (1615–1684) z nedaleké obce Pellio Superiore z Val d’Intelvi. V neposlední řadě článek nově interpretuje situaci v oblasti malířství v Čechách v padesátých a šedesátých letech 17. století a nabídzí vysvětlení Vanettiho vztahu k českému malíři Fabiánu Václavu Harovníkovi, jeho zapojení do skupiny Luragových spolupracovníků a angažování Harovníka jako malíře předními šlechtici v Čechách ve velkolepých a nově budovaných rezidencích.
Aleksandra Joanna Młynarska in the paper Is the conservation of post-German inscriptions on tenement houses an example of a change in thinking about the heritage and history of urban space in Poland? analyzes the issues of painted shop signs and wall inscriptions in German, created in the first half of the Twentieth century in Western Poland. A difficult historical context – the post-war change of Polish borders, the resettlement of the German population from the Western and Northern Territories, attempts by the post-war Polish authorities to obliterate all post-German traces and the fear of the return of German descendants living in today's Polish territory affect the contemporary reception of the studied group of objects. German-language wall inscriptions are sometimes the target of acts of vandalism and deliberate destruction, and at the same time documentary studies are made about them and are a destination for alternative urban tourism. The problem of a dual attitude towards this group of objects is reflected in the ongoing conservation works. A questionnaire was analyzed, carried out at the Voivodoship Offices for the Protection of Monuments and the Municipal Monument Conservators in western and northern Poland, which shows the amount and location of conservation-restoration of post-German painted shop signs in Poland. The study of the issues of the stratigraphic structure of the paintings as well as the techniques and technology of their creation constitute the basis for researching the issues of their conservation and restoration. Although the damage characteristic of this group of objects coincides with the typical damage of wall painting, their significant feature is the particular exposure to external and atmospheric destructive factors. Particularly dangerous threats include the action of infiltration and capillary water, microbiological attack and the effects of human activity in the form of gases and dusts highly concentrated in the city and, consequently, the phenomenon of acid rains. Their effects affect not only the conservation and restoration process, but also the materials used in the work.
The aim behind this study was to identify the plants which are the floristic motifs of ornaments inside of Church of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven in Kraków. The art techniques used in ornaments submitted to the analysis were: paintings, sculptures and stained glass-works. The analysis was based on the photographs of various parts of the St. Mary's Basilica taken between 2017 and 2018. Identified species of plants were presented in the table. In the analysis performed here, the author was focused on the symbolism of chosen floral art motifs, since the artist’s botanical knowledge was not the only inspiration for utilising such decorations. Due to its symbolism, the motif of flowers was commonly used in the religious art, highlighting the dignity and majesty of this beautiful place of worship. Even though the meaning of plants as a symbol often depends on the cultural basis in which the work is done, there are some examples of plants that are widely known as religious symbols by everyone.
In this brief note, I ofer correctionsto two interpretations from the editio princeps of a series of legends on a painting in room 5 in the Southwest Annex of the Monastery on Kom H in Dongola.
Excavations in the North-West Church yielded numerous fragments of plain and painted wall plaster, which suggest that the entire interior of the church was plastered, and in large part, decorated with wall paintings. The majority of painted remains were discovered in the martyrion chapel and in the diakonikon. This paper describes the findings and addresses the following questions: to what extent was the church painted; what did the paintings represent; were these paintings aniconic; what are the characteristic features of the technique of execution of these paintings; do these paintings belong to a single phase of decoration of the church?
W artykule przedstawiono problemy związane z należącym do procesu badań powierzchni architektonicznych odsłanianiem malowideł ściennych. Omówiono też sposób przygotowywania w przeszłości wtórnych powłok przed nanoszeniem kolejnych dekoracji oraz podstawowe zasady postępowania konserwatorskiego. Warstwy stratygraficzne malarstwa ściennego stanowią: murowane podłoże, tynki, pobiały i warstwy barwne. Nie zawsze zdejmowane są wszystkie wtórne nawarstwienia z całej powierzchni oryginalnej dekoracji, czasami wykonuje się jedynie niewielkie odkrywki. Zdejmowanie przemalowań jest prowadzone w ramach prac konserwatorskich, dlatego duża część rozstrzygnięć należy do specjalistów z tej dziedziny. W przeszłości konserwatorzy odsłaniali zwykle w całości zachowaną warstwę najstarszą; późniejsze były po prostu tracone. Dziś istnieje wiele metod konserwacji i sposobów ekspozycji, aby ocalić malowidła pochodzące z kilku okresów historycznych, stworzone na tej samej ścianie. Różne sposoby i formy ich ekspozycji pokazano w artykule na fotografiach. Należy podkreślić, że jednoczesna prezentacja malowideł pochodzących z kilku okresów to głównie kwestia estetyczna. Nie wolno też zapominać, że dekoracja malarska nie tylko jest dziełem sztuki, ale stanowi dokument losów historycznej budowli.
EN
The article presents problems of revealing of mural paintings which is an integral part of architectural surfaces investigation. The paper also describes different kinds of preparatory layers used in the past as a support for new decorations and general rules of its conservation proceedings. The stratigraphic layers of mural painting are the following: the wall, plasters and renderings, strata of whitewash and polychromes. In some cases only limited parts of authentic paint are presented without removing of all layers added later on the whole decorated surface. Overpaintings are removed in conservation treatment, that is why the conservator is the one to make the most important decisions. In the past conservators used to reveal the oldest existing paint layer; overlapping layers were simply lost. Today there are many solutions and methods of conservation allowing to preserve and expose paintings created on the same wall in different historical periods. The photographs included in the article illustrate different systems and forms of presentation. It should be stressed that parallel presentation of paintings coming from several periods is mainly an aesthetical problem. One should also remember that painted decoration is not only a work of art but also a document of history of the building.
Biskup warmiński Krzysztof Andrzej Jan Szembek ze Słupowa (1680–1740) przy archikatedrze we Fromborku ufundował kopułową kaplicę relikwiarzową pw. Najświętszego Salwatora i św. Teodora Męczennika (Teodora z Amazji), zwaną także Szembekowską. Całość wnętrza kaplicy pokrywają freski wykonane około 1735 roku przez Macieja Jana Meyera (Matthiasa Johanna Meyera) z Lidzbarka Warmińskiego. Wykształcony w Italii artysta wykonał polichromię w typie malarstwa iluzjonistyczno-architektonicznego określanego jako kwadratura. W dolnej części kaplicy przedstawiono popiersia świętych oraz w całej postaci św. Teodora z Amazji, a w czaszy kopuły adorację Trójcy Świętej oraz Krzyża Świętego przez Matkę Boską i świętych. Poprzez metodę porównawczą omówiono dekorację kaplicy w kontekście zagadnień malarstwa kwadraturowego rozwijającego się we Włoszech, a następnie w Europie Środkowej, zwłaszcza pod koniec XVII i w I połowie XVIII wieku. Ważną rolę w tym zakresie odegrał Andrea Pozzo (1642-1709) oraz artyści, którzy z Italii pochodzili bądź też tam studiowali malarstwo, jak Maciej Jan Meyer. Wskazano pierwowzór dla dekoracji kopuły kaplicy, którym są freski z lat 1664-1665 Pietra Berrettinieo da Cortony w kopule Santa Maria in Valicella w Rzymie, a także dla medalionów z popiersiami świętych wzorowanych na strukturze ołtarza głównego z lat 1699–1700 w kościele Krzyża Świętego w Warszawie, ufundowanego przez pierwszego mecenasa Meyera biskupa Teodora Potockiego, prymasa Polski.
EN
The Bishop of Warmia, Krzysztof Andrzej Jan Szembek from Słupów (1680– 1740), erected a domed reliquary chapel devoted to the Most Holy Savior and St. Theodore the Martyr (Saint Theodore of Amasea) at the cathedral in Frombork, also known as Szembek Chapel. The entire interior of the chapel is covered with frescoes dating from around 1735 by Maciej Jan Meyer (Matthias Johann Meyer) from Lidzbark Warmiński. Educated in Italy, the artist made polychrome decorations in the style of illusionistic architectural painting known as quadrature. In the lower part of the chapel stand busts of saints and the entire figure of St. Theodore of Amasea; in the cupola of the dome is the adoration of the Holy Trinity and the Holy Cross by the Mother of God and the Saints. Using the comparative method, I discuss the decoration of the chapel in the context of quadrature painting, which was developing in Italy and then in Central Europe, especially at the end of the 17th and the first half of the 18th centuries. Influential artists who played an important role for Polish quadratura techniques were Andrea Pozzo (1642–1709) and painters who came from Italy or studied painting there, such as Maciej Jan Meyer. I also show the prototype for the decoration of the chapel’s dome, namely, the frescoes from 1664–1665 by Pietro Berrettini da Cortona in the dome of Santa Maria in Valicella in Rome, as well as for medallions with busts of saints modeled on the structure of the main altar from 1699–1700 in the Church of the Holy Cross in Warsaw, funded by Meyer’s first patron, Bishop Teodor Potocki, primate of Poland.
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