In the middle l740s Iohan George Pinsel
finds himself in a small town Buchach of Podolia
(Podillia) at the court of Kanev starosta Mykola
Pototski. Here as well as later in other places
he cooperated with a prominent architect Bernard
Meretyn .
In the suburbs of Buchach Master puts up
two stony figures - of a Virgin ( 1751) and of
Yan Nepomuc ( 1750). As his art achievement we
can name 12 allegoric sculptures personifying
Herculean labours and placed on the town hall
built by Bernard Meretyn as a panegyric to Mykola
Pototski.
In the interiors of Buchach parish church
the "Altar sculptor" executes two altarsand then
works at Pokhrovska church.
Mykola Pototski himself as a Patron of art
had a large impact on manifestation of the major
creative opportunities of Iohan Pinsel. Even the
firts works made by the Master on these lands
are the evidence of his outstanding talent and
a high level of his craftmanship.
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The church of St.George
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In the early 1750s the sculptor had executed
the major order by Mykola Pototski - five altars
for Missionary church and four - for a parish
church in Gorodenka town and also a figure of
Virgin on a column in front of the church.
The rest of sculptures from Gorodenka were
brought to a museum during the expeditions; the
major part of them is displaied at the exposition.
A strained dramatic effects combined with a
psychological depth of images, heightened expressiveness
of a form, masterly treatment of detalles.
In the first place draperies are the main
features of Iohan Pinsel creative work exerting
In his contemporaries and attracting to him a lot
of pupils and followers. It imparted an outstanding
originality to the "Lviv- sculpture on the
background of the European culture of XYIII century.
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The church of St.George
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At the end of 1760s simultaneously with Lviv
works (St.George Cathedral) not far from, in Godovitsa
village Pinsel executes one of his most interesting
masterpieces - a sculpture ensemble of
central altar for a parish church (architect Ber-
nard Meretyn).
A sculpture was arranging on the background
of the monumental, imitated with polychromy altar,
creating a synthetical unity of outstanding aesthe
tical level.
Subordinating to the higher mistical power
whose sense has been discovering in lateral scenes
from Old Testament -"the Sacrifice of Abraham" and
"Samson killing the lion" as prototypes of the
cross road of Christ and symbol of faith - the
images are faced to Crucifiction, permeated with
A strained dynamic fit. Forth coming figures of
John and Mary and also of crucified Christ filled
with high dramatic nature became the Master's top
achievement .
Ensemble includes also an embossed work"Christ
in Jerusalem Temple" with allegorical figures and
a sign of Bernard Meretyn on the back side.
A work concerning the St.George Church entrance
decoration was made by Pinsel on the order
of Lviv high-ranked clergy - Athanazy and Leon
Sheptitski. is executed two sculptural figures of
Patrons' orders - st. Leon and st. Athanazy, and
the horse figure of St. George on the top of the
Church .
At the same time Pinsel had cut the "Crucification"
for the St.Martyn Church in Lviv.
Stone figures on the Dominicans Cathedral and
Mary Magdelene Church and one figure of Virgin in
front of the Cathedral of st. Mary the Snowy (not
existed) are considered to be carved by Pinsel.
Pinsel is also known to have made the altar
for the Missionary Church (no evidence has been
preserved ) .
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The church of St.George
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Researchers of the sources of Pinsel creative
work sought them in the first half of XX century -
some in Bavarra, some in Prague, others in Austria.
It was in 1980s when for a first time an influence
of Byzantine style was mentioned in Master's works.
This style is manifesting:
- in an extraordinarily expressive construction
of frgures, combining them in a space;
- in bilingual treatment of sculpture surfase.
It naked parts of bodies (faces, arms, legs) are
reproduced in more realistic manner, in draperies
Pinsel uses devices of decorativeness and geometrization
formes. Clothes consists of large flatnesses
that refracting between each other and wreathing
around the figures create an independent plastic
element .
Obviously, a specific significance for the Master
had the Ukrainian art influenced by the culture of
late Paleologs - isychasm - a phenomenon rooted in
an Eastern church.
Pinsel's sculptures are full of mystical piety,
they seem to enter into a spiritual.
At the last part of XYIII th century more
than 40 Pinsel's disciples are active. They are:
Petto and Matvij Polejovski, Mykhajlo Filevich,
Ivan Obrocky, Francisc Olensky and others.
Though this generation of sculptors is not
quite of the whole depth of Pinsel works, but
they followed his tradition. They remained these
style standards and tried to manifestate emotio-
nal feelings, especially in draperies treatment,
but in more stagy decorative manner.
Oksana Kozyr
Director of Pinsel's museum in Lviv