Brilliance. Wit Stwosz's St. Mary's Altar in Krakow. Exhibition of photographs by Andrzej Nowakowski

The St. Mary’s Dormition altarpiece, the work of Veit Stoss, is the largest Gothic altarpiece in Europe. We can only view this outstanding work from a distance. Thanks to the photographs, it was possible to capture the extraordinary tangential artistry of this sculpture.

The exhibition Brilliance. Wit Stwosz’s St. Mary’s Altarpiece is an excerpt from iconographic material showing the condition of the altarpiece itself, taken by photographer Andrzej Nowakowski. The photographs depict the altarpiece in a way that has not been possible before, but which this work of art certainly deserved. The photos, taken using professional lighting and elevators, show the altar in a completely new light. The photos in the exhibition were taken during several night photography sessions in 2009. The author of the photos looks at Stwosz’s work from the closest distance, systematically, sculpture by sculpture tracing facial features, folds of materials, grimaces, glances gestures and even the shape of fingernails. That is, everything that as visitors to St. Mary’s Cathedral we can at best guess at. Such a close encounter with the work reveals the great genius of the artist – Wit Stwosz, the enormity of his imagination and his perfect workshop.

Andrzej Nowakowski – Polish philologist, doctor of humanities at Jagiellonian University, photographer. Author of numerous publications in the humanities, art and literary criticism, as well as photo albums (including Slawomir Mrozek, 2005; Zoom. New Jewish Cemetery in Krakow, 2006; Dovecote. Faculty of Polish Studies, Jagiellonian University, 2007; Spheres and Shadows. Collegium Maius of the Jagiellonian University, 2008; Brilliance. Wit Stwosz’s St. Mary’s Altarpiece, 2011; City in Salt. Wieliczka Salt Mine, 2011).

Exhibition coordinator: Anna Szlazak