Bitwa Warszawska i jej bohater. Wyobrażenia artystyczne

Abstrakt

The cult of national heroes enriched the national tradition of the Polish people during the partitions. After regaining independence, new heroes appeared (with the contribution of the state propaganda). The legend of priest Skorupka, a military chaplain, gained a special significance among them. Artistic images greatly influenced it. Some of the painting imageries have found their place in the canon of national imagination. They managed to capture the priest's heroic-sacrificial, but at the same time triumphant character. When it comes to the legend of Father Skorupka and the spectacular victory in 1920, the image of Jerzy Kossak "the Miracle at the Vistula" is a symbolic work. This painting is also perceived as the arc of the kitsch with a patriotic and national expression. The title of this vision, which placed it in a specific political and ideological context, was very meaningful as well. It was not the only image of the battle of Warsaw displaying the figure of the heroic chaplain of Polish soldiers that has become very recognizable thanks to countless reproductions, including on postcards. A separate category of images showing priest Skorupka in the context of the defense, or even the salvation of Western civilization (understood as Christian one) are the paintings of Jan Henryk Rosen and Arturo Gatti. They are an important part of iconographic programmes in the chapel in the summer papal residence in Castel Gandolfo (a programme arranged in strict accordance with the instructions of Pope Pius XI) and the Polish chapel in the Basilica of Santa Casa in Loreto. The most significant symbolic motif of the painting legend of Father Skorupka seems to be the fact that it became the expression of the political dispute between Piłsudskiites (the followers of Marshal Józef Piłsudski) and the nationalists. This legend clearly distinguished the roles of Piłsudski and priest Skorupka in the history of Poland. Although Pilsudski is considered as a "genius of independence", Father Skorupka is associated with the Battle of Warsaw. He became the symbol of that event and painters had significantly contributed to it.