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Figure of an Angel Without Wings

Maciej Polejowski

Basic information
ID
С-I-1038
Author
Maciej Polejowski
Name
Figure of an Angel Without Wings
Date of creation
18th c.
Technique
carving
Material
wood polychrome
Dimensions (height x width x depth, cm)
91 x 71 x 34
Additionally
Type
sculpture
Genre
religious
Information about author
Author
Maciej Polejowski
Artist's lifetime
after 1734–1806
Biography
Maciej Polejowski (after 1734–1806) was a sculptor and an architect of Lviv; he is associated with the third period of Lviv Baroque sculpture, which lasted from 1770 till the end of the 18th century. Maciej Polejowski was one of the most talented followers of Johann Georg Pinsel, under whom he studied in Buchach. Stylistically, Maciej Polejowski's sculptural works refer to the Rococo style with some tending to Classicism. As the sculptor executed several orders simultaneously, he was assisted by a team of skilled workers. In 1764, like some Lviv sculptors, Maciej Polejowski was granted the right to wear a sword. It symbolically gave him the same status as the gentry of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and exempted him from the jurisdiction of city guilds. In 1766, Maciej Polejowski performed sculptural works in the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Lviv; in 1768, he worked in the Monastery of the Basilian Monastic Order; in 1778, Polejowski carved a new part of the iconostasis in the form of an altar for the Church of St. Nicholas in Krekhiv; and in 1781, he signed an agreement to make 6 side altars in the Pochaiv Monastery of the Basilian Monastic Order. Maciej Polejowski was well-known in Galicia.
Object description
The naked full-length figure of an angel is represented with his arms outstretched. The features of the angel's face are carved in the manner typical of Maciej Polejowski, in particular a round face with broad cheekbones, a high forehead, bulging almond-shaped eyes with eyelashes in the form of waves on the upper eyelid, a small nose, puffy lips, and a clearly defined small pointy chin. The sculptor is characterized by a simplified interpretation of the figures, thus, the silhouettes are more restrained, although the figures are not static. Following the proportions of the body of a small child, the master skillfully conveys his anatomy. The sculptor makes the lower part of the figure a little heavier compared with the upper one. The drapery that wraps the body of the angel is carved in the form of folds. The sculpture is characterized by expressive contour, dynamic shape, as well as deep detailing of the object. Maciej Polejowski's works are expressive and spectacular. In his sculptures, he used the Rococo motifs. The sculpture comes from the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary located in the village of Navariia.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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