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Figure of an Angel

Franciszek Oledzki

Basic information

ID: С-I-1095
Author: Franciszek Oledzki
Name: Figure of an Angel
Date of creation: 1770s
Technique: carving
Material: wood whitewash
Dimensions: 120 x 195 x 75 cm (height x width x depth)

Additionally

Type: sculpture
Genre: religious

Information about author

Author: Franciszek Oledzki
Author in the original: Franciszek Olędzki
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 monumental sculpture of an angel comes from the central altar of the parish church in the town of Lopatyn. A figure of great proportions is represented on knees in a prayer pose. The figure of an angel is carved in a manner typical of Franciszek Oledzki. It has a thickened neck that turns into a heavy muscular body. The almond-shaped eyes with a downward gaze, a straight and big nose joined by one line with the forehead, a sharp contour of the chin, and peculiar curls of the hair that seem to be blowing in the wind – all these elements are done in the technique typical of the sculptor. The dynamic folds of the drapery wrap the athletic body in the lower part of the figure, leaving its feet open. The sculpture of an angel is covered with white paint. Of great interest are metal brackets and large nails, which connect the wooden fragments of the sculpture. The figure of an angel is shown in an expressive pose, which was traditional for the Rococo style, and with a manner gesture, which was a characteristic element of the sculptor’s works.

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Figure of an Angel

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