A few years ago I had a pleasure to participate in a British project called National Inventory of Continental European Paintings: I have researched and made catalogue entries for 231 paintings in the collection of York Art Gallery, dating back from 15th century to ca. 1900. Obviously those earliest pictures…
A myth of a glorious imperial past is still vivid among many inhabitants of former Austro-Hungarian Empire and I must admit I am one of them. I very much value the fact that now and then I have a chance to participate in a party where – at certain point…
One of the most beautiful places in Moravia (or perhaps in the Czech Republic all together) is Telč; a city with the Old Town listed at the UNESCO World Heritage List. One may find there amazing renaissance houses, old churches and a beautiful castle, and I definitively recommend you visiting…
In the Archives of the Cracow Cathedral Chapter there is a manuscript Liber Privilegiorum no 2, containing an ink votive drawing: the oldest survived work of art of that kind in Poland. The drawing depicts a donor, which is Cracow Bishop and the firs Polish cardinal, Zbigniew Oleśnicki (1389-1455), worshiping…
Dalmatia (Croatia) is a popular holiday destination and lots of people every Summer visit Zadar. While they are in that city, they may go to visit St Simeon church, where they may find a very interesting medieval chest. It contains the relics of Simeon – but it is not St…