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Figure of an Angel

Franciszek Oledzki

Basic information

ID: С-I-1116/2
Author: Franciszek Oledzki
Name: Figure of an Angel
Date of creation: 1780s
Country: Ukraine
Technique: carving
Material: wood
Dimensions: 93.5 x 63 x 45 cm (height x width x depth)

Additionally

Type: sculpture
Genre: religious
Plot: Angel
Provenance: Berestechko town, Horokhiv district, Volyn region, Church of the Holy Trinity of the Trinitarians

Information about author

Author: Franciszek Oledzki
Author in the original: Franciszek Olędzki
Artist's lifetime: c. 1745–1792
Country: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, now Ukraine
Biography: Franciszek Oledzki was a Lviv sculptor of the second half of the eighteenth century. There are not enough documented works about the artist. His creative activity dates between 1760 and 1792. The author worked with various materials: limestone, marble, stucco, wood (linden was the primary material) and mostly carved round sculptures. Since the 1770s, Oledzki worked in Lviv: he performed stained glass works in the Latin Cathedral (from June 14, 1773 to November 4, 1779, he worked on four altars, a throne for the bishop, and various ornaments); in the Dormition Church, the artist made an iconostasis; in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, he carved an altar with figures of saints. In addition to Lviv, Franciszek Oledzki worked in Berestechko, Buchach, and Lopatyn. In 1774, he signed an agreement with the superior of the Dominican monastery in Pidkamin to perform sculptural works. A characteristic feature of the sculptor's work is the figures' expressive poses and dynamic gestures – his angels seem to be flying in the sky. The professionalism of the master is felt in the filigree facial features, movements of the depicted figures, and peculiar curls of their hair.

Object description

The figure is part of a sculptural composition. It complements the image of the monumental angel from the high altar of the Trinitarians' Church in Berestechko. The angel is depicted in an expressive pose with his arms outstretched and his gaze directed upwards. The small naked body, with a weighted lower part, is covered only by a drapery that wraps around the hips. The figure is carved in a semi-seated pose with the head tilted to the right shoulder. The angel's head is framed by unruly curls, with a slight smile on his lips.

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Figure of an Angel

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