Barokinių iškilmių dekoracijų įtaka iliuzinių altorių raiškai bei paplitimui LDK

Abstract

A big influence to the spread and expression of plastics of painted altars in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was made by designs of different secular and religious holidays. It is no coincidence that, differently from the Western Europe, most altars in the Grand Duchy were made on simple rectangles or on wooden slabs, decorated by outline carvings and cloth surface, which reminded holiday decorations. The so called occasional decorations (frequently referred to as occasional architecture) were also made of nondurable materials (wood, clay, plaster and cloth). If the altar retabulums, painted on wooden slabs replicated the forms and principles of church facades, triumphal archs and temporary altars, those painted on cloth reminded of the trellis, used in decoration of churches and chapels. The said decorations were used for decoration of streets and buildings on occasions of accolades of noblemen, during funerals, canonization of new saints, coronations of miraculous paintings, Corpus Christi and other processions. For each celebration temporary altars and order structures, reminding such altars were created under supervision of specially invited well-known artists, in order for the impressiveness of the compositions to be under discussions for a significant period of time after the end of the celebration. The influence of theatre on the formation of sacral interior and on the plastics of painted altars in the 17th – 18th century is obvious. The especial massiveness of religious life, processions, pilgrimages, coronation of miraculous paintings and pompous funerals required appropriate liturgies. Decoration of altar retabulums becomes especially important, refined and meaningful. The altar becomes very powerful and expressive as a stage and as an accent in the theatrum sacrum.