Zukowo - Gallery Two

. . . THIS MAY TAKE A MOMENT OR TWO . . .

We are most grateful to a great Friend of our Order
Dr. Joanna Szczesna of the Catholic University of Lublin Poland, 
for her help and comments below.  

Interior towards the high altar 


High altar 


Interior from the choir loft 


Western face of the choir loft parapet from the 1st half of 17th century.  
An interesting feature of this parapet is that it shows paintings 
of Norbertine Saints (see close-up below). 

Here is a close-up of some of the saints depicted.


Another angle, showing the stairway ascending (and pulpit partway up),
along with more paintings of Norbertine saints.

Antwerpian altarpiece, c. 1510-1520, now in the Chancel

A threefold altarpiece closed with ogee arches originated in Antwerp. 
In the central sphere, there are curved polyfigural scenes of the Passion of Christ: 
The Carrying of the Cross, The Crucifixion, The Deposition from the Cross
There is an incorporated predella with the carved scenes: on the left there is 
The Annunciation and The Visitation, on the right we have The Birth of Christ 
and The Offertory in the Temple. In the centre, there is The Tree of Jesse
On the obverse of the two pairs of the painted folds, there are scenes from 
the passion cycle: The Captivation of Christ, Christ in front of Pilate, 
The Mourning and The Resurrection
On the reverse, we see the scenes from the Old Testament: Moses Brings 
Forth Water out of the the Rock, Collecting manna and The Lord Sends Quail
On the obverse of the upper folds there is the scene presenting 
Christ’s Descent into Hell, on the reverse there are the representations of angels.

Statue of the Virgin and Child, c. 1500, polychrome wood, gilded, height 130 cm. 
Now in the Holy Family altarpiece from the first half of the 17th century.  
 
A crowned Mary is shown from the front, on her left forearm there is the naked Child, 
also crowned and holding an apple in both hands. She is wearing a dress 
girdled above the waist with a large cleavage. The dress is covered with 
a cloak. Mary is holding one of the flaps with her right hand bent at 
the elbow. The folding is deep and in the shape of a triangle. The dress is 
golden, her complexion is ivory and her hair is brown.  

This is a closeup of the the Statue of the Virgin and Child, 
clearly showing the Child holding an apple.  This is an iconographic link 
with the vision of St. Hermann-Joseph, a 12th century 
Premonstratensian mystic of Steinfeld Abbey.  

Crucifix, 1st half of 14th century, polychrome wood, height c. 200 cm.
Placed above the entrance to the vestry. 
 
Initially, there were octagonal bas-relief plates with the symbols of the evangelists 
on the limbs of the cross. Presently, they hang on the wall next to the cross.  
Christ with elongated proportions, His arms are stretched horizontally. 
His head is leaning over the right shoulder and his eyes are closed. 
He has a beard and long shoulder-length hair. The anatomical 
details such as the tense veins of His arms and the outline of the ribs are exposed. 
A trail of blood running down from the wounds in His hands, 
feet and the side has the shape of racemes. He is wearing a 
knee-length perisonium with a vertical double folding at the sides. 
The original polychrome was discovered during the conservation work. 
His body is ivory with the shade of gray and is covered with the bright 
red stains of blood. The blood from the wounds is dark red. The hair and the 
beard are brown. The perisonium is white with an azure lining decorated 
with small red and green flowers. 

Triptych of Mestwin
 
It is dated 1515, and is now placed on the northern wall of the church nave. 
The central panel is in the form of a gold vaulted niche. Originally there was a sculpted wooden 
figure of the Knight - probably St. Florian or prince Mestwin, but it was stolen in 1969. 
On the obverse of the wings, there are paintings of: St. Barbara and probably 
Zwinislawa (Mestwin's wife) on the right and St. Katharine and Mestwin (?) on the left. 
The holy virgins are crowned; Zwinislawa wears a white coif, Mestwin is bare headed. 

Zukowo Martyr-Sisters
 
This "group portrait" of Sisters of Zukowo is an oil on canvas from 1773.  
It commemorates the Sisters martyred during the Prussian invasion of 1224. 
At the bottom there is an inscription with their names: 
Ven. Virg & Mart. Zukov SQ Praem. Miroslawa Magistra Bene/deta, 
Ewa, Miloslawa, Caecilia, Sophia, Euphemia, Euphrosina Bo(...).  

Side altar (also 1st half of 17th century) with a painting with typical representation of 
St. Norbert with Tanchelm (as I suppose) at his feet.