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Angel’s Head

Franciszek Oledzki

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Basic information
ID
С-I-2219
Author
Franciszek Oledzki
Name
Angel’s Head
Date of creation
18th c.
Country
Ukraine
Technique
carving
Material
wood
Dimensions (height x width x depth, cm)
10 x 15.2 x 7.6
Additionally
Type
sculpture
Genre
religious
Plot
Cherub
Provenance
Unknown origin
Information about author
Author
Franciszek Oledzki
Artist's lifetime
c. 1745–1792
Country
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, now Ukraine
Biography
Franciszek Oledzki was a Lviv sculptor of the second half of the eighteenth century. There are not enough documented works about the artist. His creative activity dates between 1760 and 1792. The author worked with various materials: limestone, marble, stucco, wood (linden was the primary material) and mostly carved round sculptures. Since the 1770s, Oledzki worked in Lviv: he performed stained glass works in the Latin Cathedral (from June 14, 1773 to November 4, 1779, he worked on four altars, a throne for the bishop, and various ornaments); in the Dormition Church, the artist made an iconostasis; in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, he carved an altar with figures of saints. In addition to Lviv, Franciszek Oledzki worked in Berestechko, Buchach, and Lopatyn. In 1774, he signed an agreement with the superior of the Dominican monastery in Pidkamin to perform sculptural works. A characteristic feature of the sculptor's work is the figures' expressive poses and dynamic gestures – his angels seem to be flying in the sky. The professionalism of the master is felt in the filigree facial features, movements of the depicted figures, and peculiar curls of their hair.
Object description
The carved wooden image represents the traditional iconographic type of cherub in Baroque sacred art. Similar works served as decorations for altars, iconostases, or church interiors. The presented angel’s head is carved with a sense of plastic refinement and vivid softness. The realistically executed face is endowed with delicate features. The head, turned to the left and raised upwards, creates the impression of a radiant image embodying celestial purity and tranquillity. Plump, rounded cheeks, a bright, open forehead with a playful strand of curled hair, half-closed, expressive eyes directed upwards, a small, snub nose, and lips parted in admiration characterise the emotional and expressive image of the cherub. The expression of the face is imbued with childlike spontaneity and innocence, imparting a sense of divine presence. The decorative completeness of the expressive image is enhanced by small wings, each feather of which conveys a sense of movement. The work is coherent and realistic, conveying idealised beauty. The author skilfully combines naturalism with artistic decorativeness, embodied in the tender, idealised childlike image of the angel’s head.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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