Sonosfera nieba. Krótkie studium historyczno-ikonograficzne trzech obrazów tablicowych Hansa Memlinga z Koniklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten w Antwerpii
The sonosphere of the Heavens. A brief study of the history and iconography of three panel paintings by Hans Memling on display in the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten in Antwerp

Summary/Abstract: The present study consists of two parts. The frst part is a multicontextual historical introduction offering the reader a more informed experience of a partially lost work of art by Hans Memling (c.1435–94) and his workshop. In the second part, the author attempts to grasp the meaning of the contents of the three Antwerp panels and to identify the ideological inspirations behind the metaphysical vision they display. The fundamental ideas behind the panels are rooted in theology (heaven, the cross), liturgy (the attire of Christ and of the angel musicians) and iconography (the figure of christ, the angel musicians, the instruments). apart from the evident influence of the Ghent Altarpiece (the fgure of Christ, the singers’ facial expressions), a crucial inspiration would seem to be The Fountain of Life (Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado; 1445/50) by the circle of Jan van Eyck. In all probability, Hans Memling was familiar with the iconography of that painting (from drawings, written/spoken accounts, direct experience?), because in the paintings from Antwerp we see the same soft instruments, including the tromba marina, rarely depicted in ffteenth-century panel paintings.

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