One of the most irritating misconceptions about the Middle Ages is that people back then bathed once a year or so – it is a myth I keep fighting. I am very happy to say that recently my article on this subject has been published by JSTOR Daily (available HERE)….
Stone Christ that spoke
St Mary’s Basilica in Cracow is probably known all over the world for its magnificent late gothic carved main altarpiece – a masterpiece by Veit Stoss, completed in 1477-1489. It has been restored lately and the restoration project was granted European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award 2023. Meanwhile, in…
A stolen painting returned to York Art Gallery!
A few years ago I wrote on my blog about two late-Gothic panels from the workshop of Hans Pleydenwurff, that I researched during my stay at York Art Gallery. Those are the posts: http://en.posztukiwania.pl/2020/04/14/late-gothic-panels-in-york-art-gallery-part-1/ http://en.posztukiwania.pl/2020/05/02/late-gothic-panels-in-york-art-gallery-part-2/ Unfortunately, as I wrote, one of the panels was stolen in 1979. It was on…
Us and the War
I am not a fan of modern art, but there are certain artworks – even the ones dating back to the 20th century – that I really like. One of them is undoubtedly “Us and the War” (or “The War and Us”) by Edward Okuń (National Museum in Warsaw). Okuń…
St Benedict growing tree in his belly
In Central Europe, churches’ furniture dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries may often be a source of very interesting curiosities. For example, let’s take a look at pulpits: they sometimes had extremely weird shapes, as well as complex theological meaning. Some time ago I wrote about whale-shaped pulpits…