MONASTICISM AND MOUNT ATHOS

The Prints and Drawings Room of the Czartoryski Museum presents a new set of prints from the collection. This time it is a small exhibition illustrating the formation of Christian monasticism. Within its framework, we present works by artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Jacques Callot, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Hieronymus Cock, Benedetto Montagna and Herman van Swanevelt.

The hermit’s life – isolated, ascetic and contemplative – became a popular form of religiosity in the 3rd and 4th centuries, especially in Egypt, Palestine, Mesopotamia and Syria. Some Christians chose such a life for a certain period of time, others permanently. Over time, groups of anchorites formed around outstanding hermits, and from some such groups a cenobitic – community movement emerged. It was also a period of great intellectual revival in Christianity. Bible translations, writings and commentaries were created; the essence of God and the nature of Christ were investigated, a doctrine of faith was created, theological disputes were held, and the teaching of the Church was developing. Christianity was gaining in importance, and in 380 it became the state religion of the Roman Empire. The Christian Church operated under the authority of five patriarchs: Rome, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch and Constantinople. The division of the empire into western and eastern parts caused a similar division of Christendom. The eastern part was subordinated to the patriarch of Constantinople, and the rivalry between the pope and the patriarch eventually led to the great schism in 1054.

A watercolour and gouache engraving of Pope Alexander VII depicts Mount Athos, or the “holy mountain” – the eastern branch of the Chalkidiki Peninsula on the Aegean Sea. This legendary, contemplative place is a symbol of monasticism. Not everyone is allowed to see it, because only men are allowed to enter Athos. It can only be reached from the sea. In early Christian times, Athos was inhabited by hermits, and in the 7th century it was offered to monks. The engraving shows the Athos cape from two sides at once, from the west on the left and from the east on the right; the mountain peak itself is shown twice in the centre of the composition. The double shot is emphasised by explanatory inscriptions and two suns. At the foot of the mountain and higher up, you can see the fortified buildings of monasteries described in Greek and Latin, and along the shore, defensive towers. At sea – French, Venetian and Turkish sailing ships, galleys, fishing boats and sea monsters sailing around Athos, and even a small figure of the Georgian monk Gabriel walking on the water with an icon of the Virgin Mary. The engraving was probably of an advertising nature; the Greek, Latin and Russian inscriptions placed underneath invite people to visit the monasteries on Athos.
Next to Mount Athos are engravings showing patron saints and founders of monasticism – the Mother of God, John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene, as well as Anthony the Hermit (Anthony the Abbot), Onuphrius, John Chrysostom, Jerome and Benedict. Next to the images are scenes from the lives of saints, more or less known from historical, hagiographic, legendary and apocryphal writings. Mary Magdalene is a complex evangelical figure. She is identified with the sinner present at the feast of the Pharisee Simon and with the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Here she appears with Sister Martha on the steps of the temple, and also as a penitent, hidden in a vast landscape created by the imagination of Pieter Bruegel. The ascetic and contemplative life of anchorites is illustrated by engravings of St. Anthony, Jerome and Onuphrius, who spent 60 years in the Thebaid desert, modelling himself on John the Baptist and the prophet Elijah. A special aspect of hermit life is shown in Jacques Callot’s beautiful engraving The Temptation of St Anthony. It is a favourite subject of many artists. In the Middle Ages, many hagiographic legends appeared, the themes of which were the temptation of hermits, sin, penance and forgiveness. Albrecht Dürer’s engraving The Penance of St. John Chrysostom was based on one of them. Theological disputes and the rule of the emperor Flavius ​​Valens, who supported Arianism, constitute the historical background of the Mass of St. Basil the Great, engraved after a painting by Pierre Subleyras. Athos belongs to Orthodox Christianity, while the presented founders of monasticism are saints of the Catholic, Orthodox and other Eastern Churches.

The engravings are rarely shown, some are presented for the first time. They are noteworthy, as they are mostly outstanding works of old masters, some are unique or preserved in only a few copies. The Penitent Mary Magdalene and St. Jerome in the Wilderness engraved by Hieronymus Cock after the drawings of Pieter Bruegel the Elder belong to the cycle of twelve great landscapes by Bruegel. Jacobus Frey’s engraving St. Anthony the Hermit is provided with a handwritten dedication by the artist to Frederick Christian, son of Augustus III Wettin, and the Mass of St. Basil the Great is dedicated to King Stanisław August Poniatowski, who donated the Basilians the land in Ujazdów for the construction of a monastery.

Curator: Barbara König
Admission included in the price of a ticket to the exhibition at the MNK Czartoryski Museum