Notes |
Miniature painted by
Stanisław Samostrzelnik of Mogiła (Stanislaus Claratumbensis), from a manuscript copy of Catalogus archiepiscoporum Gnesnensium ("Catalogue of the Archbishops of Gniezno") and Vitae episcoporum Cracoviensium ("Lives of the Bishops of Kraków") by
Jan Długosz, created in the 1530s for Bishop
Piotr Tomicki of
Kraków. It depicts Saint
Stanislaus of Szczepanów as the
patron saint of Poland, venerated by King
Sigismund I and Tomicki himself together with church and secular dignitaries.
Saint Stanislaus is depicted in
hierarchical proportion, dressed in
pontifical vestments and a
mitre on his
haloed head. The inscription on a red plaque above reads: S[an]ctus Stanislaus Ep[iscopu]s Crac[oviensis] R[egni] P[oloniae] Patro[nus] (“Saint Stanislaus, Bishop of Kraków, Patron of the Kingdom of Poland”). He holds a crosier in his left hand and makes a blessing gesture with his right. The angels on either side of him support his cape above the figures praying below and hold the saint’s attributes: a palm branch symbolizing martyrdom and a
red banner with the White Eagle intertwined with the letter “S” (King Sigismund I’s
cypher) symbolizing his patronage of the Kingdom of Poland. The small figure of a naked bearded man at the saint’s feet is that of Piotr, whom – according to legend – Stanislaus resurrected, and serves as an attribute of the saint as a miracle maker.
The two larger figures kneeling at the saint’s feet are King Sigismund I of Poland (right, wearing a crown and a gold chain) and Piotr Tomicki, bishop of Kraków and
deputy chancellor of the Crown (left, in pontifical vestments). Below, surrounded by wreaths and with a little white dog lying on the grass in between, are two heraldic shields:
- on the right, the royal coat of arms, the
White Eagle; above the
escutcheon there is a crown and the letters S[igismundus] R[ex] (“King Sigismund”);
- on the left, the arms of Tomicki’s
Łodzia clan; above the escutcheon there is a mitre and the letters P[etrus] T[omicius] E[piscopus] C[racoviensis] (“Piotr Tomicki, Bishop of Kraków”).
Kneeling behind the king:
Kneeling behind Bishop Tomicki:
-
Canon
Jerzy Myszkowski; below there is the coat of arms of his
Jastrzębiec clan and the letters G[eorgius] M[yszkowski] A[rchidiaconus] C[racoviensis] (“Jerzy Myszkowski,
Archdeacon of Kraków”);
- two unidentified clergymen.
The miniature is surrounded by a border with floral ornamentation. The inscription on a red plaque in the left part of the border reads: Vir inclite Stanislae vita signis pasione gregem tuam pastor bone fove benedictione guberna protectione sana salva s[an]ct[i] intercessione (“O Stanislaus, famous for your life, miraculous signs and
passion! O good shepherd, support your flock with your blessing, govern our protection, heal and save us through your holy intercession!”).
Source: Miodońska, Barbara (1983) Miniatury Stanisława Samostrzelnika,
Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Artystyczne i Filmowe, Oficyna Wydawnicza Auriga, pp. 42, 96
ISBN:
83-221-0190-2. |