Some Observations on the Stained Glass Panels by Stanisław Wyspiański and Józef Mehoffer in the Western Window of St Mary’s Church in Kraków

Abstract

The stained glass designs by Jozef Mehoffer and Stanislaw Wyspianski for the western window of St. Mary's Church in Krakow have been the subject of extensive research. However, the question of the authorship of individual panels has not been answered yet. On the basis of a remark made by Wyspianski in a letter to his uncle Stankiewicz it can be stated with certainty that the whole left (southern) half of the window was based on Wyspianski's concept. Wyspianski was also the author of the designs for the panels in the tracery. Apart from the answering the attribution questions, the articles discusses also the circumstances in which the designs and the glazings for the western windows were made in the context of the major renovation St. Mary's Church was undergoing in the late 19th century. It also discusses the ideological and artistic questions connected with this set of designs, including the allusions to Veit Stoss sculpture and French art.