Dekoracja malarska i rzeźbiarska kruchty północno-zachodniej kościoła św. Elżbiety we Wrocławiu
Painting and sculpture decoration of the north-west porch of St. Elizabeth's Church in Wrocław

Summary/Abstract: Rich painterly and sculpturesque decoration of north-western entrance of St. Elisabeth Church is the most flamboyant example of a work of Mannerist art of this type in Wrocław. Despite its eventful history, a rapid process of deterioration, its hiding away under a layer of wall plaster, and quite controversial conservation, or even at present a difficult access to it – the entrance still appears to be a monument in which case various hypothesis concerning time of realisation, authorship, ideological programme, graphic patterns and last but not least its founders can be reported. Time of creation – a tragic for Wrocław year of 1585; artists – painters Bartholomaeus (no doubt one of the three of this name: Fichtenberger, Weiner the Elder or Strobel the Elder) and Hieronymus the Younger Beinhart, sculptor – Hans Hoffmann; founders – probably Georg von Althoff called Scholtzem and his wife Anna née Spremberger; ambitious graphic pattern (etchings by Hieronymus Wierix after the paintings by Maerten de Vos) – all the above mentioned elements make this decoration worth defining as a representative work of art of the city-republic of scholars at the end of 16th century We can only wish that more and more inhabitants of Wrocław as well as more and more visitors to the city would be able to convince themselves about it.

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