„Do not build me any monuments”. Vision of the Saint John Paul II in sacred art

Abstract

In Poland there is a cult of saint John Paul II. Presentations of his figure occur in any field of art (eg. in painting, sculpture, stained glass, mosaics, etc.). Most of those works are copies of images of the pope. Low price of work and realism in portraits – that’s what recipients wants. The world of modern art also tries to show the figure of John Paul II. Artists pay attention mainly to the social phenomenon, occurrence of pop culture, which a figure of the pope has become. This aroused and is still arousing controversy among the faithful. The article presents selected examples of successful and less successful artists’s approach to this topic