Rocznik Historii Sztuki

The purpose of the present article is to provide an analysis of the iconographic sources used in the depiction of Adam and Eve in the 3rd–4th century wall paintings. The scene of the Original Sin initially appeared in wall painting, with the oldest examples dating back to the 3rd century AD. In the following century, images of Adam and Eve were used in both sarcophagus sculpture and crafts. The author of the article compares two different iconographic sources, which together shape the final appearance of Original Sin in the art of the period. A crucial literary source beside the text of Genesis is the apocryphal Lives of Adam and Eve, tracing a different sequence of events related to the story of the Original Sin. On the other hand, the analysis of ancient depictions of Hercules and the goddess Venus reveals an intriguing connection between the representations of the Original Sin and pagan iconography.

The purpose of the article is to give an overview of two extensive sets of graphics reproductions of European Old Masters painting taken from album publications at the beginning of the 19th century. The first set of prints is a French catalogue-compendium Annales du Musée Napoleon, with illustrations by Charles Normand, the second is an album Kupferstiche von John, containing copper engravings by Friedrich John. The present article was an attempt to characterize both groups of reproduction prints in connection with the ideas of the time on the importance of Old Master schools of painting as well as artistic circles and the artists themselves, then widely used in contemporary publications on European art and the documentation of Old Masters paintings in private and museum collections.

Remarkable contemporary Lebanese artist Akram Zaatari reveals a complicated post-war situation of multicultural society of the Middle East in the context of the Ottoman Empire. He compares his conceptual artistic practice to the work of the archaeologist on excavations. Being the artist-as-archivist, he recalls the European humanism in the heroic version of existentialism.

The article presents the history of the competition and design of the building originally intended for the Juliusz Osterwa Theatre in Lublin (currently the Centre for the Meeting of Cultures). Both the concepts of the location of the building and urban conditions were discussed, as well as various conceptual designs of the theatre, awarded and distinguished in an architectural competition at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s. In the further part of the article, the concept of the experimental scene, proposed by Kazimierz Braun in the early 1970s, is discussed. The background for the reconstruction of the history of the design and construction of the building are changes in the style and arrangement of the modern theatre architecture, with particular emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe.

The phenomenon of the so-called Polish monumental theatre has for nearly a century resisted attempts at conceptualization. Created by artists living in a transitional period and formed in a peculiar “trans-era” mental space, this theatre was wrought from a hybrid substance that combined a Romantic and post-Romantic content with an avant-garde form. Being “simultaneously national and supra-national”, it appeared as a unique conceptual and artistic construct; a construct that was touted as the innovative Polish input into the reform of European theatre. Owing to the heterogeneity of its subject-matter, it was at times included into, and at other times excluded from the body of endeavours of an avant-garde nature; the correct categorization was until now made difficult by the conceptual template constructed around the dogma concerning the incompatibility of the two areas: the avant-garde and the so-called national duties. Seen in the perspective of modern-day research on the variegated nature of Modernism and on its inner tensions, however, this phenomenon may emerge as an interesting illustration of the synthesizing efforts of Modernism.

The article discusses Jacek Malczewski’s paintings based on the Gospel, in which the artist depicts Christ giving him his own face. It presents a new interpretation of the paintings from this group, taking as an example two versions of the theme ‘Christ and the Samaritan Woman’. The works were analysed in the context of the artist’s often declared attachment to the teachings of the Catholic Church, in relation to the iconographic tradition and because of the planimetric features of their visual structure. In conclusion, the paintings were considered as a means for the viewer to both recognise the autonomy of art in relation to the biographical context, and to turn towards the universal message of the Gospel.

The author presents a sketch of the history of concepts and imaginative geography of the lands located in the hereafter: earthly and heavenly Paradise, Purgatory and Heaven. He reaches back to the origins of these images in ancient Eastern cultures, the culture of Antiquity, and patristic writings. He traces their development throughout the Middle Ages to the time of Dante, whose La Commedia sanctioned the separation of the hereafter into topographically located Hell, Purgatory and Paradise.

The article presents an account of the origins, course and effects of a trip to Poland in September 1969 by the Italian writer, journalist and painter Dino Buzzati (1906–1972). In Warsaw, Buzzati met the painter Maria Anto, with whom he formed a brief but intense artistic relationship.

The aim of this article is to interpret Maria Anto’s painting in a new light and compare it with the art of women associated with the international Surrealist avant-garde. The Polish painter shared a similar sensibility with the Surrealists. Creating very personal, atmospheric works, they took up common themes and motifs in their works.