Again:
Apr. 2, 1999 >> 9:42 pm EST
Europe:Poland
First-Time Exhibit Celebrates Poland's Golden Age
Reuters
01-APR-99
BALTIMORE (Reuters) - As moviegoers relive England's golden age
under Elizabeth I, the museum world is celebrating Poland's
golden
age with an exhibition that includes treasures stolen by the
Nazis
or hidden behind the Iron Curtain after 1944.
"Land of the Winged Horsemen: Art in Poland, 1572-1764," offers
a
glimpse into a virtually forgotten period when the arts in
Poland
flourished as religious tolerance attracted foreigners
persecuted in
their own countries and military might helped make Poland the
largest nation in Europe.
"I was stunned that this thrilling and pivotal chapter of
European
history had been silenced for so long," said Ellen Reeder,
curator
of Ancient Art at the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore, where
the
traveling exhibition opened this month.
Because of Cold War-era policies that isolated Eastern Europe
from
the West, Poland and its rich culture have remained a "gray
blur"
for most people, Reeder said.
"The country was so isolated, the publications weren't there,
there
were simply no really good images of Poland in film or
television.
What's remarkable is that this isolation has continued even now
that
the Iron Curtain is gone."
The "Winged Horsemen" exhibition is an attempt to remove Poland
from
what Reeder called "the map of forgetting." It includes 150
works
gathered from 35 Polish museums by Wawel Royal Castle Director
Jan
Ostrowski, Warsaw Royal Castle Director Andrzej Rottermund and
Poland's "cultural ambassador at large" Count Andrew
Ciechanowiecki.
Some of the pieces are on view for the first time since
undergoing
extensive conservation work and most are being seen for the
first
time outside Poland.
EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTS POLAND'S MILITARY
Among the most fascinating objects in the exhibition are the
crown,
scepter and orb from the coronation of Augustus III in 1733. The
pieces illustrate not only the artistry of Polish jewelers but
the
tortured history of Poland's recent past.
The heavily jeweled objects, including emeralds, rubies,
sapphires
and diamonds borrowed from the Dresden crown jewels, were stolen
by
the Nazis and taken to Germany. Then they were stolen by the Red
Army and held in the Soviet Union until 1960, when they were
returned to the National Museum in Warsaw.
The 20th-century pillage of Poland's treasures is a far cry from
the
country's more distant past. Through much of the 16th to 18th
centuries, the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania constituted the
largest land empire in Europe, stretching from the Baltic Sea to
the
Black Sea. As the easternmost extension of the Roman Catholic
Church, Poland was considered the "Defender of the Faith"
against
the Ottoman Empire.
Poles under King John Sobieski III defeated the Turks in the
1683
Battle of Vienna, the most important in pre-Medieval Europe. A
linen
tent captured in that decisive campaign is on display in the
"Winged
Horsemen" exhibition, as is weaponry from Sobieski's fighters
including armor worn by the husaria heavy cavalry from which the
exhibition gets its name.
The husaria wore massive backplates of eagle wings that
resembled
feathered headdresses worn by American Indians. As the "winged
horsemen" charged into battle, their headdresses vibrated to
produce
a sound that terrified their enemy.
ARTISTS DRAWN BY POLISH RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
Artists took refuge in Poland during its golden age, attracted
by
its stability ensured by a fierce military and its religious
tolerance, which was decreed by law.
In 1573, the Confederation of Warsaw stated that no one could be
persecuted for their religious beliefs. As a result, Poland
became a
haven for persecuted people and the largest refuge for European
Jewry. And that same year Poland held its first free election to
select a king, ushering in a long reign of monarchs who were
subject
to the vote.
A magnificent painting in the form of a frieze, "Entry of the
Wedding Procession of Constance of Austria and Sigismund III
into
Cracow," known as the "Stockholm Roll" because it was held in
Sweden
until 1974, was painted by an anonymous artist around 1605, at
the
height of Poland's royal court splendor.
"The moment the marriage of the king of Poland is taking place
is
the same time Shakespeare is writing at the Globe Theater,"
Reeder
said. "It was a time of great excitement and great energy."
Paintings, ceramics, glass and textiles illustrate the influence
of
both the East and West on Poland's cultural life as artists
created
local schools that flourished under the patronage of fabulously
wealthy families -- the Czartoryskis, Ossolinskis, Radziwells,
Lubomirskis and Potockis.
When asked if the Radziwell family lived like royalty, one
member
once said, "I live like a Radziwell, the king can do as he
pleases."
Examples of the works the magnate families commissioned show the
sophistication of the artists and provide windows into the world
of
the Polish aristocracy.
A silver spoon on display was an example of the type of
implement
every Polish nobleman carried in his boot as a sign of wealth.
An
ornate nine-piece silver coffee set, in the show and featured in
the
painting, "A Coffee Table Scene" by Johann Samuel Mock, is an
example of the aristocracy's delight in coffee drinking after
the
confiscation of a coffee cache from the Turks during the Battle
of
Vienna.
An enigmatic portrait of Countess Anna Orzelska, the
illegitimate
daughter of King Augustus II, is an example of Poland's liberal
stance on women's rights. Orzelska, who under Polish law had the
same rights of inheritance as her brother, used her wealth to
support the arts.
CENTERPIECE OF EXHIBIT IS MIRACULOUS IMAGE OF VIRGIN
The importance of religion in the lives of Poles in the 16th to
18th
centuries is evident in works throughout the exhibition. But the
centerpiece of the show is a religious artifact that many claim
has
miraculous powers.
A 15th-century painting of "Our Lady of Czestochowa" was slashed
by
thieves in a failed robbery attempt and the portrait was said to
bleed from the cuts. A 17th-century copy of the painting has
also
been designated as miraculous and has been the object of
pilgrimages
to Lvov, where it was previously located, and to Cracow, where
it
now hangs in the Carmelite Church of the Visitation of the
Blessed
Virgin Mary.
The copy, which includes the marks the robbers' knives made on
the
15th-century original, is on view in "Winged Horsemen" -- its
first
showing since an extensive conservation project and the first
showing ever outside Poland.
The exhibition remains at the Walters in Baltimore until May 9
before traveling to the Art Institute of Chicago (June 5 to
Sept.
6); the Huntsville Museum of Art in Alabama (Sept. 25 to Nov.
28);
the San Diego Museum of Art in California (Dec. 18 to Feb. 27);
and
the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma (March 26 to June
18).
It ends in Warsaw next year at the newly restored Royal Castle,
which was destroyed during World War II.
Reuters/Variety
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.All rights reserved.
© 1999 Cable News Network, Inc. A Time Warner Company
All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this information is
provided
to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.
Custom News is built on technology.
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Date: Wednesday, April 14, 1999 8:12 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: Re: Pinheads in Baltimore
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Apr. 2, 1999 >> 9:42 pm EST
Witold Karwowski's
Europe:Poland
First-Time Exhibit Celebrates Poland's Golden Age
Reuters
01-APR-99
BALTIMORE (Reuters) - As moviegoers relive England's golden age
under Elizabeth I, the museum world is celebrating Poland's golden
age with an exhibition that includes treasures stolen by the Nazis
or hidden behind the Iron Curtain after 1944.
"Land of the Winged Horsemen: Art in Poland, 1572-1764," offers a
glimpse into a virtually forgotten period when the arts in Poland
flourished as religious tolerance attracted foreigners persecuted in
their own countries and military might helped make Poland the
largest nation in Europe.
"I was stunned that this thrilling and pivotal chapter of European
history had been silenced for so long," said Ellen Reeder, curator
of Ancient Art at the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore, where the
traveling exhibition opened this month.
Because of Cold War-era policies that isolated Eastern Europe from
the West, Poland and its rich culture have remained a "gray blur"
for most people, Reeder said.
"The country was so isolated, the publications weren't there, there
were simply no really good images of Poland in film or television.
What's remarkable is that this isolation has continued even now that
the Iron Curtain is gone."
The "Winged Horsemen" exhibition is an attempt to remove Poland from
what Reeder called "the map of forgetting." It includes 150 works
gathered from 35 Polish museums by Wawel Royal Castle Director Jan
Ostrowski, Warsaw Royal Castle Director Andrzej Rottermund and
Poland's "cultural ambassador at large" Count Andrew Ciechanowiecki.
Some of the pieces are on view for the first time since undergoing
extensive conservation work and most are being seen for the first
time outside Poland.
EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTS POLAND'S MILITARY
Among the most fascinating objects in the exhibition are the crown,
scepter and orb from the coronation of Augustus III in 1733. The
pieces illustrate not only the artistry of Polish jewelers but the
tortured history of Poland's recent past.
The heavily jeweled objects, including emeralds, rubies, sapphires
and diamonds borrowed from the Dresden crown jewels, were stolen by
the Nazis and taken to Germany. Then they were stolen by the Red
Army and held in the Soviet Union until 1960, when they were
returned to the National Museum in Warsaw.
The 20th-century pillage of Poland's treasures is a far cry from the
country's more distant past. Through much of the 16th to 18th
centuries, the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania constituted the
largest land empire in Europe, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the
Black Sea. As the easternmost extension of the Roman Catholic
Church, Poland was considered the "Defender of the Faith" against
the Ottoman Empire.
Poles under King John Sobieski III defeated the Turks in the 1683
Battle of Vienna, the most important in pre-Medieval Europe. A linen
tent captured in that decisive campaign is on display in the "Winged
Horsemen" exhibition, as is weaponry from Sobieski's fighters
including armor worn by the husaria heavy cavalry from which the
exhibition gets its name.
The husaria wore massive backplates of eagle wings that resembled
feathered headdresses worn by American Indians. As the "winged
horsemen" charged into battle, their headdresses vibrated to produce
a sound that terrified their enemy.
ARTISTS DRAWN BY POLISH RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
Artists took refuge in Poland during its golden age, attracted by
its stability ensured by a fierce military and its religious
tolerance, which was decreed by law.
In 1573, the Confederation of Warsaw stated that no one could be
persecuted for their religious beliefs. As a result, Poland became a
haven for persecuted people and the largest refuge for European
Jewry. And that same year Poland held its first free election to
select a king, ushering in a long reign of monarchs who were subject
to the vote.
A magnificent painting in the form of a frieze, "Entry of the
Wedding Procession of Constance of Austria and Sigismund III into
Cracow," known as the "Stockholm Roll" because it was held in Sweden
until 1974, was painted by an anonymous artist around 1605, at the
height of Poland's royal court splendor.
"The moment the marriage of the king of Poland is taking place is
the same time Shakespeare is writing at the Globe Theater," Reeder
said. "It was a time of great excitement and great energy."
Paintings, ceramics, glass and textiles illustrate the influence of
both the East and West on Poland's cultural life as artists created
local schools that flourished under the patronage of fabulously
wealthy families -- the Czartoryskis, Ossolinskis, Radziwells,
Lubomirskis and Potockis.
When asked if the Radziwell family lived like royalty, one member
once said, "I live like a Radziwell, the king can do as he pleases."
Examples of the works the magnate families commissioned show the
sophistication of the artists and provide windows into the world of
the Polish aristocracy.
A silver spoon on display was an example of the type of implement
every Polish nobleman carried in his boot as a sign of wealth. An
ornate nine-piece silver coffee set, in the show and featured in the
painting, "A Coffee Table Scene" by Johann Samuel Mock, is an
example of the aristocracy's delight in coffee drinking after the
confiscation of a coffee cache from the Turks during the Battle of
Vienna.
An enigmatic portrait of Countess Anna Orzelska, the illegitimate
daughter of King Augustus II, is an example of Poland's liberal
stance on women's rights. Orzelska, who under Polish law had the
same rights of inheritance as her brother, used her wealth to
support the arts.
CENTERPIECE OF EXHIBIT IS MIRACULOUS IMAGE OF VIRGIN
The importance of religion in the lives of Poles in the 16th to 18th
centuries is evident in works throughout the exhibition. But the
centerpiece of the show is a religious artifact that many claim has
miraculous powers.
A 15th-century painting of "Our Lady of Czestochowa" was slashed by
thieves in a failed robbery attempt and the portrait was said to
bleed from the cuts. A 17th-century copy of the painting has also
been designated as miraculous and has been the object of pilgrimages
to Lvov, where it was previously located, and to Cracow, where it
now hangs in the Carmelite Church of the Visitation of the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
The copy, which includes the marks the robbers' knives made on the
15th-century original, is on view in "Winged Horsemen" -- its first
showing since an extensive conservation project and the first
showing ever outside Poland.
The exhibition remains at the Walters in Baltimore until May 9
before traveling to the Art Institute of Chicago (June 5 to Sept.
6); the Huntsville Museum of Art in Alabama (Sept. 25 to Nov. 28);
the San Diego Museum of Art in California (Dec. 18 to Feb. 27); and
the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma (March 26 to June
18).
It ends in Warsaw next year at the newly restored Royal Castle,
which was destroyed during World War II.
Reuters/Variety
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.All rights reserved.
© 1999 Cable News Network, Inc. A Time Warner Company
All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this information is provided
to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.
Custom News is built on technology.
|
