Późnogotycka Madonna Apokaliptyczna z ołtarza głównego kościoła Bernardynów w Krakowie - dzieło malarza Franciszka z Węgier
Late Gothic Apocalyptic Madonna from the High Altar of the Bernardine Church in Kraków: Work of the Painter Francis of Hungary

Summary/Abstract: The recently discovered Late Gothic panel painting featuring the representation of the Apocalyptic Madonna, currently in the Alwernia Bernardine Church, is discussed. Based on archival written records, the Author connects the work with the high altar of the Bernardine Church in Kraków, and attributes it to the Bernardine painter Francis of Hungary who died in 1487-91. The first section of the article is dedicated to presenting the state of investigation into the painting itself and its artist, to continue in the subsequent one to the reconstruction of the work's history on the grounds of archival records. In the last part, the analysis is conducted demonstrating lack of any formal bonds between the Lesser Poland painting of Late Gothic and the Alwernia work; finally, the Author juxtaposes the analysed work with the panels of the former high alter of St Martin's Church in the Spisz Chapter and the painting of Madonna from Poprad. This leads to the conclusion that the author of the Alwernia Madonna, just as his nickname points to, came from the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary, most likely from around Spisz. Having reached Lesser Poland most likely in the late 1470s at the earliest, he executed the high altar for the Kraków Bernardine Church in the 1480s. Apart from the arguments pointing to the foreign descent of the artist, the Author also emphasizes the strong bond of the discussed painting with the Lesser Poland artistic tradition, this revealed when the painting is compared with the Madonnas from Cerekwia, Przydonica, Paczó³tów, and Kamienica.

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