#Wit Stwosz

[polish-art-tournament]

sculptures* round 1 poll 31

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Cradle song by Theodore Roszak, 1955:

[no propaganda has been submitted]

[roszak was an american artist of polish origin. he was born in poznań but his family moved to the us when he was 2 years old]

Dragon chandelier by Veit Stoß (Wit Stwosz), c. 1522

propaganda: I mean what even is this?! beside fucking awesome I mean

[stoß / stwosz was a german sculptor. he worked in kraków for about 20 years, his most famous "polish" work being the altarpiece in st. mary's basilica]

[kronika-ilustrowana]

Алтарь Вита Ствоша в Кракове

[famousharmonyluminary]

Nad mieszkańcami kraju mroków zabłysło światło czyli tajemnica Boga

Nad mieszkańcami kraju mroków zabłysło światło czyli tajemnica Boga

Nad mieszkańcami kraju mroku rozbłysło światło. Naród kroczący w ciemnościach ujrzał światłość wielką;nad mieszkańcami kraju mroków światło zabłysło – słyszeliśmy słowa Izajasza. I chociaż słyszeliśmy je już tyle razy, one ciągle robią wrażenie. Za każdym razem na nowo. I coraz większe. Tajemnica Boga to tytuł trzeciego odcinka serialu biskupa Roberta Barrona Katolicyzm. Biskup zaczyna od…

[batri-jopa]

Gustaw Holoubek (1923-2008)

photo sources: [x], [x], [x], [x], [x], [x], [x], [x]

[wernerherzogs]

hi kasia! I know you’re very busy with the apartment remodeling (I hope that’s going well!! Or not awful at least) but I was wondering if you had any recommendations for places to visit in Poland? I’m visiting one of my friends in Krakow but I’ll have a few extra days to myself so I wanted to see if you had any recs :) thank you!

hi anon! i hope this isn't too late 🏃🏻‍♂️🙈 i apologise for not having had the time to respond earlier!!! unfortch i AM very busy these days ):

but ANYWAY. if it's just a few days, i'd recommend sticking to Kraków or taking a train ride to either the mountains (Zakopane, for example, which is super touristsy, but probably also the easiest to navigate as a foreigner) or Warsaw. keep in mind though (bc idk when you'll be here) that October 31 and November the 1st and then November the 11th are public holidays in Poland (the first two religious, and the latter is Independence Day, def avoid Warsaw around then) and the trains and roads will be super crowded.

i'm only going to stick to Kraków i apologise but i'm sure your friend is gonna help out a lot with recs as well! and Warsaw most certainly has a great web presence for touristsy spots, but if you need me to at list some bigger museums or etc. at least, let me know. LASTLY, i'm about to copy paste recs i gave to another mutual a few months back, so - Steph, if you're seeing this, i hope you don't mind! 🩷

first things first, jakdojade.pl (either the app version, or just www.jakdojade.pl opened via the browser app) is a super handy website that shows you how to get from point A to point B, which buses/tram lines to take, etc. there are some major road renovations taking place right now around the Most Dębnicki area (near the Wawel castle), so please keep that in mind! not sure about the tram lines around the Main Train Station as well. 🤔 i think there were plans to renovate the Lubicz line, but i don't remember when. :(

Kraków is great for sightseeing, because it's quite densely built, so you can see a lot of landmarks just by walking around on foot in the Old City area! the Old City is situated like 7 mins from the main train station. in the Main Square area, the Mariacki church with an altar of a famous polish artist Wit Stwosz is definitely worth seeing, as well as Sukiennice (the building right in the center of the Square) with its underground museum.

near the Main Square, there's a gallery of modern art called Bunkier Sztuki, address: Rynek Główny (Main Square) 20, 31-008 Kraków. i haven't been there in a few years so i'm actually not sure what the current exhibits in there are and if they're worth seeing, but hopefully they are!

there's Muzeum Książąt Czartoryskich on św. Jana street 19, 31-017 Kraków which used to host Da Vinci's The Lady with an Ermine, but i think it's currently on loan for some museum in Warsaw? it was actually transferred to the National Museum of/in Kraków earlier this year, but google is being confusing, so i'm not sure if it's currently there or in warsaw 🤔 the National Museum is another place you might potentially want to visit: Muzeum Narodowe w Krakowie, al. 3 Maja 1 street.

there's obviously the Wawel Castle, the historic residence of Polish kings, as Kraków used to be Poland's capital before Warsaw. i haven't been inside in years, but it's probably still worth it! and even if you don't wanna/decide to go inside, you might want to just stroll around the castle grounds. Wawel is right in the city centre as well, so it's another one of those Kraków's staples you can go to by foot!

around the Main Square, there are several "famous" streets with quirky cafes and shops you can visit. and even if you don't go inside, you can just stroll down those streets to get a feel of the city. for example the Floriańska street, Grodzka street, saint Jan or saint Tomasz streets, the Bracka street. no matter which one of these you decide to take from the Main Square, you'll be getting that Kraków experience :)

then there's the historic Jewish district of Kraków called Kazimierz. on one hand, packed with difficult history, on the other, it's become the most hip part of the city! again, loads of famous cafes, pubs, and shops are situated there, some festivals take place there, and so on. you can just stroll around the district, and then visit the Mocak gallery of contemporary art, for example! https://en.mocak.pl/ , address 4 Lipowa St 30-702 Kraków.

just like with Bunkier Sztuki, i haven't seen the current exhibits there, so idk if they're any good, but i personally like Mocak, and you might like it as well! it's at the edge of the Kazimierz district, and the Kazimierz district is right next to the Old City district. you can go from Old City to Kazimierz on foot or take a few quick tram stops.

https://duze-podroze.pl/krakow-kazimierz/

this site is in Polish, but you can take a look at the bolded names and pics - it's a handy guide re: what to look for when you're strolling around in Kazimierz. there are jewish cemeteries, synagogues, the Boże Ciało church, the Wolnica square with Muzeum Etnograficzne (etnographic museum) on it... (https://etnomuzeum.eu/ , the site has an english version that i can't link to directly for some reason). loads of places to see even if you want to just look at them from an outside, you know?

some other places potentially worth checking out: Jagiellonian University's botanical gardens, address Mikołaja Kopernika 27, 31-501 Kraków.

then there are three locations of the Museum of photography in Kraków BUT i'm gonna come clean and admit i still haven't visited any ajdjd 🏃🏻‍♂️ so idk if they're any good, and also they don't seem to have english versions of their websites? unless my phone is failing me. but street addresses are: Rakowicka 22A, Józefitów 16, Królowej Jadwigi 220.

tl;dr sticking to Kraków is a great idea for a short stay, because you can concentrate on only two districts (Old City/Main Square + Kazimierz), and there'll be PLENTY to see, and you can reach those places by foot or via short tram rides! if you're thinking about taking some trips in the Małopolskie voivodeship where Kraków is situated, there's the historic Wieliczka saltmine which is pretty famous: https://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/ but you'd need winter clothes for that underground trip. you can reach Wieliczka by regular city buses, which is great.

then there's obviously Oświęcim known as Auschwitz-Birkenau, but that one would be heavy, and it'd take probably at least a half of your day: https://www.auschwitz.org/en/visiting/ as it's further from Kraków than Wieliczka.

please remember that the opening hours tend to be 9 am - 6 pm in most places, sometimes even shorter one day a week (sunday or monday or tuesday, typically), or some of them might be closed one day a week. so always remember to check them beforehand! it's also always worth checking if any place has any dedicated day where they offer a free pass or a discount too, you should find that info on their websites.

some places to eat in you might want to check out, although again, i'm sure your friend will be helping out with these as well: Zapiekanki in okrąglak (legendary, mandatory spot!), Nolio, Hamsa, Akita Ramen, Boccanera ristorante pizzeria, trattoria la campania, ima sushi, Sushi Royal, Viale Verde, Restaurant Martello, Sushi 77, Restauracja Bianka, Chinkalnia Restauracja Gruzinska, Hospudka u Nas

aaand that's all from me, sorry i didn't have the time for more! 🩷 HOPE U ENJOY YOUR STAY!!!!!!!!

[ars-videndi]

High Altar of St. Mary’s Basilica (Kościół Mariacki) in Krakow, the largest Gothic altar in Europe, carved between 1477 and 1489 by the German sculptor Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz in Polish; before 1450 – 1533)

The altarpiece is about 13 m high and 11 m wide when the panels are completely opened. The realistically sculptured figures are 2.7 m high; each one was carved out of a linden trunk.

1. General view in the interior 2. View with wings open. The side panels show the six scenes of the Joys of Mary (when closed, the panels show 12 scenes of the life of Jesus and Mary) 3-4. The central scene: Dormition of the Virgin, with the Twelve Apostles 5. The upper central part: Assumption of the Virgin 6. The top structure (outside the main frame): Coronation of the Virgin

A few weeks prior to the outbreak of the Second World War and the German occupation of Poland, the altarpiece was dismantled and taken to Sandomierz, where it was stored at the local cathedral and seminary. The Nazis located the altarpiece and transported it to the Third Reich. It was recovered in 1946 in Bavaria, hidden in the basement of the heavily bombed Nuremberg Castle. The High Altar underwent major restoration work in Poland and was put back in its place at the Basilica 10 years later.

(Wikipedia)

[witeksphotosart]

Interior of Mariacki church in Kraków, Poland. Finally they started to light up the church before a mass and few people told me, that taking photos is forbidden in the church…(so, sorry, but no more photos I have).

[alrauna]

St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków. The altarpiece was carved between 1477 and 1484 by the German sculptor Veit Stoss (known in Polish as Wit Stwosz).

© Justyna Bruska (Alrauna)

Instagram / Flickr / DeviantArt

[galeriakrakow]

Marienbasilika von Krakau  | Willy Vogelsang

Eine überwältigende Flut von Eindrücken befällt einem beim Betreten dieser restaurierten Kirche mit dem grössten Altar Europas, von Veit Stoss (11 x 13 Meter, 1477 - 1489 erstellt).

Dass das Bild so gelungen ist, verdanke ich meinem kleinen Dreibeinstativ, das ich jeweils auf eine Banklehne oder sonst auf einen Absatz stelle und die Kamera dann ihren Dienst via Selbstauslöser automatisch tun lasse. Die vielen Details liessen das Gewicht der Datei auf über 10 MB anschwellen! Aufgenommen mit SONY F-828, ISO 100, 1/8 s, f 2.0, 7.7mm (ca. 30mm KB), Stativlein

(via Marienbasilika von Krakau Foto & Bild | architektur, sakralbauten, innenansichten kirchen Bilder auf fotocommunity)

[kaniony-kanonu]

Wit Stwosz – Nagrobek Kazimierza Jagiellończyka

[polish-art-tournament]

a couple more artists who were submitted that i don't think qualify or i'm not sure about but would appreciate some feedback from people who might know more about them or have Opinions:

Alexandra Exter - russian? born in białystok, studied in kyiv, painted in russia and france

Fernand Léger - i guess his wife was polish (belariussian?) but apart from this i can't think of any reason he should be in

Elisa Bloch - born in wrocław when it was german, emigrated to france as a kid

Olga Chernysheva - come on, she is just straight up russian????

Ryan Gander - british but the submitted sculpture is exhibited in poland

Theodor Erdmann Kalide - german, lived in the prussian partition, the sculpture submitted is in bytom

Theodore Roszak - born in poznań, emigrated to the US as a kid

Anastasia Rydlevskaya - belarussian, lives and works in gdańsk

Fanny Rabel - born in lublin, emigrated to paris then mexico as a child

additionally:

Wit Stwosz - no dobra, niemiec, ale jest na tyle ikoniczny i w powszechnym mniemaniu spolszczony, że raczej go zaakceptuję

anonimowy probably niemiecki autor ołtarza św. jadwigi śląskiej - primo anonimowy, secundo ołtarz od 600 lat jest w polsce, więc też zaakceptujemy

Paweł Merwart - kinda sorta probably more french than polish but we had him in the previous tournament and also his biography and his work slap so i want him in the tournament

[famousharmonyluminary]

Malarstwo i miłość

Malarstwo jest jak miłość. Zaraz wyjaśnię, dlaczego tak uważam. O malarstwie możemy wiedzieć dużo, możemy być teoretykami sztuki i nawet książki o nim pisać, ale jeśli nie staniemy z dziełem twarzą w twarz nie zrozumiemy jego wymowy i piękna. Nie odkryjemy smaku jego esencji. Z miłością jest podobnie. Możemy wiedzieć o niej wszystko, oglądać filmy miłosne, ale jeśli jej sami nie przeżyjemy,…

[photo-snap-stories]

PL:

Rynek Główny w Krakowie

Tuż obok - jeden z symboli miasta - Bazylika Mariacka. Ustawiona ukośnie do osi Rynku Głównego, stoi na miejscu dawnej romańskiej świątyni, zniszczonej prawdopodobnie podczas najazdu Tatarów w XIII w. W dzisiejszej formie jest klasycznym przykładem architektury gotyckiej.

Najbardziej charakterystyczne dla budowli są dwie wieże na fasadzie świątyni. Wieża wyższa, zwana Hejnalicą, ma 82 metry wysokości, zaś niższa mierzy 69 metrów i pełni funkcję kościelnej dzwonnicy. Z wieżami mariackimi związana jest legenda, według której ich budowy podjęli się dwaj bracia. Kiedy młodszy zorientował się, że jego praca nad wieżą postępuje wolniej, zamordował brata przebijając go nożem. Nóż, którym miał się posłużyć, wisi do dziś w Sukiennicach, przypominając tę ponurą historię.

Kolejnym znanym akcentem Mariackiej Bazyliki jest jego ołtarz autorstwa Wita Stwosza. To wspaniałe arcydzieło sztuki rzeźbiarskiej późnego gotyku zostało ukończone w 1489 roku i do dziś jest podziwiane przez turystów z całego świata.

W kościele Mariackim znajduje się 11 kaplic. W miejscu obecnego placu mariackiego jeszcze w XVIII wieku znajdował się cmentarz. Niektóre z epitafiów pochodzących z przykościelnego cmentarza została wmurowana w ściany bazyliki. Polichromie na ścianach kościoła Mariackiego wykonał Jan Matejko w latach 1890 – 1892.

EN:

Main Market Square in Krakow, Poland

Right next to it - one of the symbols of Krakow - St. Mary's Basilica. Set diagonally to the axis of the Main Square, it stands on the site of a former Romanesque temple, probably destroyed during the Tatar invasion in the 13th century. In its present form, it is a classic example of Gothic architecture.

Most characteristic of the building are the two towers on the temple's facade. The higher tower, called Hejnalica, is 82 meters high, while the lower one is 69 meters high and serves as a church belfry. There is a legend associated with St. Mary's Towers, according to which their construction was undertaken by two brothers. When the younger realized that his work on the tower was progressing more slowly, he murdered his brother by stabbing him with a knife. The knife he was supposed to use hangs in the Sukiennice to this day, reminding of this gloomy story.

Another well-known accent of St. Mary's Basilica is its altar by Wit Stwosz. This magnificent masterpiece of late Gothic sculptural art was completed in 1489 and is still admired by tourists from all over the world.

There are 11 chapels in St. Mary's Church. In the place of the current St. Mary's Square, there was a cemetery in the 18th century. Some of the epitaphs from the church cemetery were embedded in the walls of the basilica. The polychromes on the walls of St. Mary's Church were made by Jan Matejko in the years 1890 - 1892.

[history-of-arts]

Wit Stwosz - Krucyfiks z Wawelu

[ars-videndi]

Altar of the Cross in St. Mary’s Basilica (Kościół Mariacki) in Kraków, with a Crucifix made in 1496 by the German sculptor Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz in Polish;   before 1450 – 1533)

The Crucifix, made in the late Gothic style of limestone mined in the quarries near the city of Pińczów, is named Krucyfiks Wita Stwosza after its creator.

The Altar of the Cross was originally built as the principal altar for Requiem Masses. The background of the Crucifix is a view of Jerusalem.

The images in this post are screenshots from this video. The video is in Polish and, unfortunately for those who do not understand this language, is not subtitled; nonetheless, I highly recommend it for watching, as it shows this soul-stirring masterpiece from different angles and in all the amazing detail.

[mrdirtybear]

‘Blind Wit Stwosz with his daughter’ painted in 1865 by Jan Matejko (1838-93).