Obraz Matki Boskiej Częstochowskiej w Umieniu – nieznane dzieło z kręgu Franciszka Śmiadeckiego
The painting of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Umień – an Unknown work from Franciszek Śmiadecki’s Circle

Summary/Abstract: The Parish Church of St Michael the Archangel in Umień (formerly Umienie, Koło district) possesses one of the early copies of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa (Figs 1,8). The oil painting on canvas features the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus in gem-embossed gowns, the Virgin is wearing a jewelled crown. The iconography as well as the work’s stylistic features allow to associate it with a set of numerous copies of the painting of Our Lady of Częstochowa created in the workshop of a Cracow painter, Franciszek Śmiadecki (Figs. 2,3), active in 1596-1615. The first parish church in Umień was built in the 14th c. The current, wooden structure was raised in the 1st half of the 17th c. (Figs 6,7,8) by the contemporary heir of Umień, Wacław Kiełczewski, a courtier of King Sigismund III Vasa. Kiełczewski was also the founder of the Mannerist altar and the painting of Our Lady of Częstochowa in the side chapel of the church.After the 1755 fire, the surviving painting was placed in the new high altar, where it remains to this day (Fig.8).

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