Polskie przedstawienia „scala salutis” na tle tematyki śmierci w sztuce i literaturze średniowiecznej

Abstract

The thesis is devoted to three Polish paintings from the first half of the 15th century, which present the rare theme of „scala salutis”/„scala peccatorum”. These are: the miniature from the No. 2. Missale from the Archives of the Metropolitan Chapter at the Wawel Castle in Cracow and wall paintings in the cloister of the post – Augustan St. Catherine’s Church in Cracow and in the cloister of the post – Cistercian monastery in Pelplin. The moment of man's death and the simultaneous individual judgment of his soul are portrayed. Maria intercedes for the dying man to Jesus Christ who in turn intercedes to God the Father. A t the same time the angel and the devil fight for his soul. Analoguous European representations, such as the miniatures from the National Library in Florence, the Casanatense Library in Rome and wall painting in Zeliezowce, Czechoslovakia, have been discussed. Different representations of the double intercession of Maria and Christ to God the Father have also been presented. Analysis of the basic theological sources of the idea of intercession beginning from ancient Christianity follows. The theme was most elaborately developed in the writings of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Besides painting another field of late Medieval art has been taken into consideration: i.e. homiletic and theological writings and popular lay and religious prose and poetry devoted to motifs of death and intercession. In addition to those rudimentary theological views, the contents of such works as: „Contemptus Mundi”, „The Legend of the Three Alive and Three Dead Ones”, „Vado mori”, and „Man’s Talks with Death” where specific attention was drawn to the Polish „Rozmowa Mistrza Polikarpa ze śmiercią”, as well as such works as „The Complaint of the Dead”, „Oto usta już zamknione” and „Dusza z ciała wyleciała”, have been presented. The English – Dutch morality „Everyman” and the dances of death and „ars moriendi” treatises have also been accounted for. The apocryphal depiction of St. Joseph’s death (“Historii Josephi fabri lignari”) as well as of St. Martin’s death as presented by Sulpcislus Sever and Jacob de Voragine have been pointed out as the archetypes of these works and possibly also of the „scala salutis" presentations. Selected Polish prayers and Marian songs devoted to Maria’s intercession to Christ at the time of man’s death have been discussed. Finally the main factors which determined the fact that the fascination with death was particularly strong in the 14th and 15th centuries have been considered. Those were determined as mostly historical, economic and social reasons. The Cistercian artistic centre, where the theme and lay out of „scala salutis’’ probably emerged, was suggested. Most likely the theme reached Poland by two routes: from Doberan to Pelplin and from Slovakia and Bohemia to Cracow.