Wrocławski ołtarz św. Barbary i jego twórcy

Online-Ressource, Polish http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/labuda1984

Translation of abstract (English)

The subject of the book are a group of paintings executed about the half of the fifteenth century in Silesia, among which an outstanding place is occupied by the altar of St. Barbara from Wroclaw. This altar was submitted to a thorough iconographical analysis, with emphasis on the literary and pictorial sources of the legend of St. Barbara. The problems of authorship - the subject of a lasting controversy in German and Polish historiography — was solved in the following way. The open part of the altar (the life of St. Barbara) was made by a newcomer from the Upper Rheinland, called the Master of the Altar of St. Barbara. He was educated at the workshop of the Master of the altar of Staufen and he realized an artistic conception of the painted altar, which in the understanding of style and quality is a parallel phenomenon to the artistic production of Lucas Moser and Stephan Lochner, Konrad Witz, the Master of the Passion of Darmstadt. The closed part (Christ's Passion and Triumph of Mary) was made by the painter from the circle of the Master of the altar of the Tucher, called the Master of the cycles of passion. Both artists came to Silesia and made also the main altar of St. James' church at Nysa. The subject of analysis are the other works of the Master of the cycles of passion and influence of both authors of the altar of St. Barbara on the Silesian painting of the second half of the fifteenth century.