You can see at first glance that the Last Judgment of Hans Memling hides more than one secret. What if, step by step, we faithfully recreate the history of this painting? After World War II, he became the main hero of a surprising conflict ...
Although Father Michał knew the archbishop's office very well, he felt intimidated in it with each visit. He was gorgeous. More:Father Michał did not think of a word better than "Byzantine".
First, it was similar in size to a swimming pool. In addition, if the cardinals residing here wanted to use a cavalry lance while sitting on a horse, he would have successfully fitted such a weapon under a coffered ceiling decorated with paintings depicting glorious moments in the history of the Church. Second, the entire long wall of the office was flooded with light streaming through the large windows. It was actually a glass door leading out to a terrace, as spacious as the office.
The other walls were decorated with carved shelves filled with the treatises of philosophers or church fathers in gilded leather, and God knows what else. Whenever Father Michał looked at this peculiar collection, in which all the volumes had the same binding, thickness and format, he suspected that the lion's share of them were mock-ups, and that the embossed spines concealed only the filling in the form of cardboard boxes. But he never checked it because he didn't have the courage. He also suspected that the archbishop, despite his manifested directness, would not be delighted with such a bibliophile inspection (...).
God made it!
Now the dignitary sat relaxed, his head tilted back on the lofty backrest of his throne, and looked curiously at Michael, his gaze quickly running through the letter with the official headline handed over to him a minute ago. Father Malak finished and exhaled, funny puffing of his cheeks which was a sign of strong emotions in him.
- Finally! I believed ... No ... - In a somewhat theatrical gesture, raised his left hand with his index finger slightly bent, as is done during the suspended cadence of the sermon to emphasize the importance of spoken wisdom. - I knew ... I knew that only Your Eminence could make it happen! This is great news.
The archbishop, though he tried very hard, could not hide his complacency. He raised his hands in a gesture of ordering Piotr Skarga, as if he wanted to push away the praises of the subaltern.
- God made it! True, by the hands of our influential friends and… um…
Hans Memling's "Last Judgment" at the National Museum in Gdańsk.
The dignitary paused, pondering for a moment the most appropriate term for those he apparently did not want to classify with "influential friends." As a result, he didn't finish the sentence and entrusted the next thought to the next phrase.
- So that you would know who I had to run and how unpleasant it was for me. You know that I hate the most pompous, delicious idiots in the world, convinced of their own magnificentii .
Purpurat did not use the Polish equivalent on purpose. Father Michał thought with appreciation about the accuracy of the term. He knew perfectly well whom his superior had to activate with such regret and contempt. The subject of the conversation was a clergyman with political influence as great as his stupidity, self-love, as well as spiritual, moral and intellectual misery.
- But well… The crimson continued. - The end justifies the means. Even Jesus our Lord, speaking to the disciples who had fled from Jerusalem to Emmaus, called them fools. But he still used them for his divine purposes. Anyway stupidity and idiocy, properly used, can become useful and serve great works. The Archbishop smiled venomously at a thought that apparently pleased him.
Spear of St. Jerzy
- Fortunately for our cause, the high-ranking official on whom the matter largely depended, he uttered this part of the sentence with a barely perceptible hint of mockery, is not a specialist in the matter he had to deal with. This is often the case with high officials. Hašek and Bulgakov are, I believe, your favorite writers, so I don't need to explain to you what I mean. Attention, Michal! When I say God made it through the hands of my friends, I think primarily of you ... The dignitary paused, waiting for the caller's reaction.
Father Malak could not hide his blush of satisfaction - he acted like any inexperienced drinker when they give him food.
- Yes, Michal. I will repeat it to everyone. Most of all, journalists. - Here the archbishop started his blessing hands and rhythmicized his praises with measured gestures, and Father Michał, for some reason, was reminded of the subject of Aramis 'scholarly dissertation from Dumas' novel. The one about blessing with three fingers. - It is at least half your merit and please, no false modesty .
The text is an excerpt from Mirosław Bujko's book "The Final Judgment", which has just been published by the Sonia Draga publishing house.
The archbishop spread his incense, and Father Malak had to admit in his soul that he enjoyed it. So he did not deny and did not play a note of mock modesty. His blush was proof enough of the effectiveness of the praise. The complimenting person certainly noticed it and did not hide his satisfaction, so he pleaded with enthusiasm:
- Your expertise was my most effective weapon against these bureaucratic dragons. With my St. George's spear . But let's say a lot, you are an international authority and now you can only go higher. Anyway, I was already thinking about it. Ba! Purpleat clasped his beautiful hands together and propped them up against his chin, leaning towards Michał. - I recommended you to the Vatican. I had no other choice. - The archbishop smiled broadly, thus showing how much pleasure he enjoyed talking to his favorite subaltern, while Michał made sure that by accepting nods to make this pleasure even more delicious.
- I know, I know The archbishop continued. - You, as always, would prefer to stay in the shadows. It is highly commendable, but you must know that I managed to involve the Holy Father's closest associates in our cause. And it was they who suggested that you come to the audience with him after the happy and blessed finale.
- Your Excellency will forgive ... Father Malak again reached for the document that had been put on the desk. - I haven't read when… when finis coronavit opus ?
"Triptych will go back into place"
Though he had no vanity in him, he could not help but use the Latin sentence in a future tense. After all, as befits an art historian, he was an erudite and liked to use his knowledge. Unfortunately, as he was aware, he also liked to show off his knowledge. Often he even got lost in these shows.
He then reprimanded himself for his lack of restraint and intellectual fanfares that reduced the audience to the level of not very bright fourth-grade students. If someone wanted to take a closer look at these intellectual resources gleaned from reading, studies, talks and travels, they would see an impressive pile of quotes, sentences, definitions, information, images, music excerpts, films, photos, memories, thoughts and comments. Yes, this pile was impressive, even overwhelming in size, but it was piled chaotically, without any order.
The altar by Memling was in St Mary's Church in Gdańsk until 1807.
Surprisingly, the priest doctor, who has a great memory and an efficient and quick mind, was always able to pull out the right element from this incredible pile of details and flash it in front of the interlocutor or the delighted audience. It was not a trained skill - rather a rare gift that, when used at the right moment like a signature prestidigitator number, invariably won over even his prejudiced listeners, and filled him with uncritical pride.
The archbishop held up the paper and did not hesitate to reply.
- The minister decided that by the end of the year. But I want it to happen before Christmas. After December 10 ... Probably the last week of Advent. I think it will be Wednesday. The triptych will return to its place. And I assure you, Michael, we will never again hand him over to secular hands. These museologists were under the delusion to the end that we would not be able to meet the conditions. They wrote appeals, tried to run officials and politicians. But I made sure that, with God's help, we had officials and politicians on our side. Better not ask me how I did it. The Archbishop got up from behind his monumental desk and continued his tirade as he paced his office. - Their hope is in vain. Anyway ... Come on, Michal. I have spent the last few days very busy. Me and our friends. You should see it first.
Church "deposit"
They walked across the nave, echoing a thousandth echoes of an interior raised 35 meters by pointed arches, and headed towards the Chapel of Saint Raynold. The Archbishop spoke without trying to adjust the tone to the acoustics of the holy place, repeatedly amplifying even a whisper. As a result, the dignitary's voice rumbled through every nook and cranny of the cathedral.
- Even though this minister is not the smartest one, he has outpaced EU aid by over six million. We renovate everything we can, and most of all the roof. Yes, to prepare the whole for the reception of the painting.
It was great news. Father Michał heard it for the first time. His supervisor may say what he wants about the minister in office, but never in the post-war history of archdiocese-ministry relations has so much been obtained. In addition, the basilica, managed by the current parish priest's predecessors, got involved in unnecessary conflicts not only with the ministry, but also with the management of the National Museum. And since the famous decree on the abandoned post-German property, it held formal and legal authority over the remaining historic part of the temple's furnishings .
This equipment consists of a dozen of very valuable medieval sacred works of art:the Ten Commandments tablets, the sculpture of the Beautiful Madonna, altars, chests and candlesticks, i.e. all the valuables that the Sonderkommando took from the German Evangelical community and "evacuated" to Germany in 1945, and which returned to the basilica two years later.
During the war, the "Last Judgment" fell into the hands of the Germans (in the photo plunder the collections of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts in Warsaw).
Agreements concluded with the communist state expired in 2004. The church parish priest at that time, for some reason - probably also out of stupidity comparable to that of the communist-clerks - refused to sign further contracts to lend medieval treasures to the cathedral. Then it only got worse. The officials, irritated by the actions of the parish priest, flooded the basilica with letters and reminders and sent monument conservators. Officially, it was about checking the "state of preservation of the objects", in fact it was a prelude to a ministerial campaign aimed at ensuring that the final refusal to return the triptych would be accepted by the public.
In the media, out of nowhere, information appeared that the museum wants to take back the basilica's monuments and file a lawsuit for the return of the works. The then minister of culture - a man, it seemed enlightened, competent and quite humanly sympathetic - assured that no one was going to take the "deposit" from the Church . The only problem is that the parish priest of St. Mary's Basilica is questioning its property. But the very euphemistic use by the minister of an ambiguous and suspicious word made the declarations untrustworthy. The thinking of the parish priest at that time was thoroughly wishful, and soon he began to confidently claim that the "deposit" was his property. Even people in his circle suspected that the clergyman had head problems.
The peace necessary to start negotiations on the triptych was concluded with the ministry only by the archbishop. He did it so diplomatically and cleverly that - as the ministerial wise men themselves admitted - "there was a chance to start a possible procedure for the transfer of property". As you can guess, the change in the position of the parish priest was also caused by the archbishop's diplomacy.
Source:
The text is an excerpt from Mirosław Bujko's book "The Final Judgment", which has just been published by the Sonia Draga publishing house.