CONTENIDO

CONTENTS

SPIS TREŚCI

Prefacio

Foreword

Przedmowa

Baroque Architecture in Brazil

The author of the article describes the most important phenomena in Brazilian architecture from 16th to 18th century with the special focus on baroque style. The location of monuments is presented on the beginning of the text and two the most important areas are pointed: Atlantic coast and Minas Gerais state in hinterland. The chronology of the colonial Brazilian architecture is described with emphasis on 18th century architecture importance. The division between secular and sacred architecture shows the great importance of the second one. The sacred architecture is analyzed with regard to function and form. Objects are classified by front elevations compositions, decorations, plans, interior arrangement and decoration. The author presents the regions features. The similarities of colonial Brazilian architecture and parallel European architecture are described in the summary.

Representations of Mexica’s Childhood in Codices of Central Altiplano in Mesoamerica

Before their birth, Mexica children were already important in their society because they occupied a key role in the economic, social and religious systems of the group. Children were integrated, since young ages, into the daily life of their parents where they assisted in economic and household activities. This paper analyses some of the ways in which the Mexican represented the children graphically in a series of codices. The work takes into account the conceptualization of children, the age groups into which childhood has been divided, as well the different ways in which children interacted with the other members of the family and the group to which they belonged to.

Representations of ahuianime in Florence Codex

The subject of this paper is description of three pictures found in the „Florentine Codex”, by fray Bernardino de Sahagun, showing the Aztec women called ahuianime. The ahuianime were women who accompanied the most distinguished warriors in various cultural and religious situations. As these relations might have had sexual context, the ahuianime were frequently considered prostitutes by the European missionaries. In the described pictures there are three ahuianime, each of them in different age: a young girl, a mature woman and an elderly woman. Each of them is accompanied by various attributes that point to her age, social status and social role. Our main aim is to state what meaning do these attributes have and to what extent are they consistent with the information on ahuianime provided by the written sources.

Ethnographic Researches of Borys Malkin in the Light of the Letters to Helena Przestalska-Malkin. Expedition to Kofan Indians

Borys Malkin (1917–2009) was anthropologist, enthomologist and traveller. He dedicated almost 40 years of his life to field research in South America. In this period he visited many different tribes and collected, a valuable Indian’s ethnographic materials. Nowadays these unique exhibits are in many important museums in America, Europe and also in Poland. Borys Malkin researched the Kofán Indians from Santa Rosa de Sucumbíos settlement. This tribe inhabit the region of Amazon tropical forests across Ecuadorian – Colombian boundary. He visited the Kofán people twice: in 1970 and 1971 and this period was really valuable for his researches. This ethnic group became the most documented from among all Indian tribes which he has ever investigated. He collected ethnographic materials such as: wood pots, clay pots, gourd pots, hamacs, blowguns, spears, fishing-nets, necklaces and plume ornaments and supplemented its by films and photos. Malkin wrote reports from his voyages in letters to Helena Przestalska, who became his wife in 1972. This correspondances and articles was publisched by Malkin in magazine „Poznaj świat” and his book Odchodzący świat, let us know the life of researcher.

Sacred paintings on metal sheet

The article Saint images painted on tin contains the description of retablo painting in Mexico. This genuine branch of Mexican folk art ultimately widely recognized by many specialists of Mexican art now can be found in many art galleries and museums around Mexico and the United States. The author focuses on the retablos santos and retablos ex-votos giving the wide description of these two types of Mexian retablos. The text is accompanied by the wild bibliography, pictures and observation from the field research. The retablo painting flourished in 19th century mainly in the central states of Mexico and there are known two types of it: retablos santos and retablos ex-votos known as milagros. This object of a private devotion with the images of saints or the Holy Family, were very popular in the turn of the 19th and the 20th century. Naïve artist presented in their works their love for the decorative ornaments trying to obtain grand manner effect. Rules of anatomy and perspective were rather unknown to the artist and persons or articles portrayed were reduced to the simple shapes. Retablo paintings were widely common till the beginning of the 20th century when sacred pictures printed on paper replaced them and the coloured lithographs appeared on the market. Contrary to the retablos santos, ex-votos still are present in the in the religious space of its believers. Mexican milagros tell the unusual stories of their donors who being grateful for the received mercies give thanks to la Virgen de Guadalupe, Santo Niño de Atocha or some saint. The contemporary votive painting still remain its traditional form dived in two parts: painted part which includes a „mirackle-maker” and a scene, and a written one which is text describing the scene and a miracle received. Ex-votos, contrary to retablos santos, are a very fine example of direct relation between people and supernatural powers. Having been a very important source of people’s religious sensitivity, they give a true visible testimony of faith and gratitude for the received miracles. They have their autonomous force of expressing human emotions.

The narrativ form of andean retablos. Casus of Peru and Bolivia

The article concerns contemporary folk art in Peru and Bolivia. The local retablos are described, their history from colonial period and their new functions in the present time are presented. Traditional products of artesanía have been converted from sacred objects into ones that comment actual political-social changes. The author focuses on examples from the civil war period in Peru 1980–2000 and these from 2005–2009 from Bolivia. Peruvian retablos from Ayacucho region show tragic events of civil war, violence against indigenous Indians, fights and women tragic fate. Bolivian retablos show different type of events – Evo Morales access to power and watershed changes in Bolivian society in which subjectivity of indigenous Indians were restored.

Representations of Brazilians Cannibal Women in Americae Tertia Pars (1592)

In 1592 Theodoro De Bry published la Americæ Tertia Pars, the work based on German traveler Hans Staden (1557) and French Jean de Léry (1578) narratives involved in expeditions to Brazilian land and describing inhabitants of the visiting territories.The prints illustrating the third part of the work are presenting Hans Staden’s peripeteia – abduction, captivity and his life among Indian Tupinambá. Local customs: dances, feasts, wars and most of all cannibal rituals, are shown on the prints. The article contains an analysis of thse rituals in which eldery Indian women used to take part.

Saint Gertrude The Great – cult and iconography in the Colonial Art of New Spain

The cult of St. Gertrude the Great was one of the most popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Spanish America. This paper explores its presence in New Spain in orthodox and heterodox milieus, as depicted in manuscripts, printed books, and religious images and paintings. The medieval nun St. Gertrude – barely remembered today – was reinterpreted as a Counter-Reformation saint, set against Protestantism because of her German origins. She was ‘sworn’ in New Spain as Patroness of the city of Puebla, and was known for her interceding powers in preparing for death and as a champion in saving souls from Purgatory. Not only was her cult paramount in ecclesiastical circles (such as religious orders and the secular clergy) but also widespread among various lay sectors of New Spain’s society. Today still we may find traces of that devotion in some places of contemporary Mexico.

The Eucharist’s Allegory – Common Graphic Patterns upon the Painting of 17th and 18th century in Poland and Peru

The motive of Eucharist is one of the most important subjects of allegoric images in baroque Polish as well as Vice-Kingdom of Peru art. Apart from classical images with The Eucharist’s adoration, in which the luminous body of Christ is placed in a monstrance, there were also symbolic compositions in which the mystery of Christ’s sacrifice was presented in an allegoric way. Some of these images are presented in the article. The most interesting for the author are images common for modern Polish painting and colonial Peru. The first such composition is The Mystical Press – the subject that was very well known in all Latin America – from New Spain to Argentina. It was also known in Europe, but in modern period became less popular. The composition of majority images is based on Hieronim Wierix’s print. Images from Poland and these from Peru repeat the same compositional pattern.The second example is The scouts return from Kanaan, which topic is related with the allegoric of The Eucharist. There are quite a lot of such pictures from both countries. Some of them were a pattern based upon the same print – anonymous work based on Maarten de Vos’es picture. The popularity of The Eucharist motive had been analyzed and variety of its allegoric compositions in post-Tridentine age and Counter-Reformation art. The finding of the article is that art in distant extremities of the Christian world had similar functions – it was used to preserve the Catholicism from heresy danger (Orthodox Church, Protestantism) and, on the other hand, it was a tool to achieve new mission areas for The Church.

Artistic and Commercial Relations between Flanders and Mexico from 16th to 18th Century

The presence and circulation of Southern Netherlands’ values is a fascinating subject with a lot of possibilities for the researchers: Graphic material – printed or manuscript – books, stamps and engravings, as well as paintings, tapestries, sculptures and textiles exported from Antwerp found their way to the New World or even further, via Seville – the gateway to America. Today many examples of Southern Netherland’s books and artistic objects can still be admired in Latin American and from Goa to Manila. The shifting character of exchange in Antwerp affected also its market in luxury goods; this was booming in the 16th century with the international patterns of trade established in the city that facilitated the export of locally-made items to markets abroad. The exportation of luxury goods through Spain was orientated not only to the privileged social levels, but was now distributed on a much larger scale including the Spanish monarchy and the middle classes who displayed a strong taste for Flemish art. All these Flemish works were sold in fairs such as the one of Medina del Campo, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville, and from this great Atlantic Metropolis were sent to America or further.

Motifs of European Origin as one of Aspects of Investigations of Mestizo Style in Baroque Architecture in Viceroyalty of Peru

The question of South American baroque architecture is filled with a number of problems which keep scholars dedicated to this topic restless for over 50 years. One of them is terminology. Currently the most widespread term used in connection with native-style adorned churches from the former Peru Viceroyalty, is mestizo style. Other designations are „popular architecture” or „Andes baroque”. This stylization appeared in south of Peru including Arequipa, Ayacucho, the shores of the Titicaca lake down to cities in Bolivia through La Paz to Potosí. Mestizo means a mix of European and Indian cultures. It appeared in the 17th century but it reach the peak of its popularity in the 18th. It has only an ornamental character and no construction importance. The motives which appeared in this style are the following:European-origin motifs (mermaids, eagles, angels); tropical floral and animal related motifs (monkeys, pineapples, papayas); Pre-Columbian motifs (masks, pumes). Unfortunately, the research status is insufficient and thereby the reference materials dealing with the topic is far from complete.

From sacral representation to piece of art in Colombian Art. from 16th to 18th century

Maria’s Images and cult appears In New Grenada Kingdom from the beginning of the new World conquista. Despite of Council of Trent decisions concerning the importance of image in religiuus life revering of miraculous icons of The Blessed Virgin and the cult of these icons were a part of New Grenada’s everyday life. Since the moment the country had become independent from the Spanish government and, most of all, after the enactment of The Church, property nationalization had been executed, the situation of Maria’s images changed. They still have their sacred function but they started to be perceived as objects of historical and artistic value as well. This process is connected with weakening of sacred iconography in aid of laic painting and academic art development that took place in 19th century. Miraculous icons from colonial age have become an object of History of Art studies. The article below concerns the problem of the transformation, basing on Maria’s images from 16th till 20th century from Columbia.