Papers by Alicja Bielak
The Catholic Reformation and the Book (Library of the Written Word series), eds. J. Kiliańczyk-Zięba, M. Komorowska, Leiden-Boston: Brill 2024, 323–370, 2024
This paper presents meditative emblem books as a segment of Catholic book production in the Polis... more This paper presents meditative emblem books as a segment of Catholic book production in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of the seventeenth and eighteenth century. Like Protestant catechisms, these emblem books were intended to propagate a certain kind of spirituality. Approximately fifty such books have been identified during this research. They were written between c.1570 and 1780; that is, from when the "Symbolica vitae Christi meditatio" (Symbolic meditation on the life of Christ) was designed by Tomasz Treter (first draft between 1569–1575; printed in 1612) to the publication of the last known edition of "Hebdomada sancta" (Holy week) by the Jesuit Świętosław Zygmunt Niwicki (1775).
Knowledge Shaping. Student Note-taking Practices in Early Modernity, ed. Valentina Lepri, 2023
The aim of the chapter is to show how the theological discussions of the late 1550s influenced st... more The aim of the chapter is to show how the theological discussions of the late 1550s influenced students, as evidenced by their personal notes. The corpus of analysis are the manuscripts left after Michał Zaleski, a Polish student who was killed in Tübingen in 1559. During the murder investigation the "Declarationes Iesu Christi Filii Dei", attributed to the Antitrinitarian Miguel Servet, was found among his belongings. This discovery started a new investigation, this time on heresy. The text bears numerous marginal notes written by various hands. Moreover, Zaleski prepared a commonplace book called by the trial committee "Locus communis de Trinitate". In addition to being one of the earliest traces of the antitrinitarian discussions among Poles, the materials also demonstrate how confessionalization influenced students’ methods of text interpretation and ways of conducting heterodox discussions outside the university walls.
History of Universities (XXXVI/1), eds. Robin Darwall-Smith & Mordechai Feingold, Oxford University Press, 2023
Recent years have seen an increased interest in the study of student notetaking and its fruits – ... more Recent years have seen an increased interest in the study of student notetaking and its fruits – notebooks. The purpose of this paper is to analyze a composite volume (Sammelband, recueil factice), in which a collection of prints is bound together with handwritten notes by a Polish mathematician Jan Brożek. Most of them are dated to the time of the scholar’s studies in Padua, where he was earning his doctorate in medicine. Because such miscellanea rarely are the main focus of research, the present paper aims to explore the possibilities of interpreting this type of sources. They have been neglected until now for at least two reasons: their eclectic nature and their improper storage and cataloging (because collectors and librarians often disassembled such volumes to extract their various parts).
Emblematica: Essays in Word and Image, Vol. 5, 2023
Although the wide spread of emblems in early modern culture is well known, their coexistence with... more Although the wide spread of emblems in early modern culture is well known, their coexistence with music still remains underexamined. The aim of this article is to describe the emblematic constructions in the "Graduale carmelitarum de sanctis" by an anonymous author which is preserved in the library of the Carmelite Monastery at Piasek in Cracow (Poland) and their relationship to the liturgical year.
In the context of the emblematic tradition, this gradual from the second half of the seventeenth century is interesting for two reasons. First, it is the earliest known example of the reception of Tomasz Treter’s emblem collection "Symbolica vitae Christi meditatio" (1612). Second, and more importantly, it is the first known example of the use of emblems in a gradual. The graphic sources (besides Tomasz Treter) of initials include emblems by Paolo Giovio, Silvester Pietrasanta, Jan Ziarnko, and Sebastianus a Matre Dei. The gradual offers valuable insight into the use of multisensory media in Carmelite liturgical practices after the Council of Trent. The erudite emblems present in the gradual require the user to know the structure of the Mass as well as the context for the symbols which can be found both in the Bible and emblematic tradition.
Pamiętnik Literacki, 2022
Artykuł omawia nowo odnaleziony łaciński wiersz Daniela Naborowskiego napisany na cześć niemiecki... more Artykuł omawia nowo odnaleziony łaciński wiersz Daniela Naborowskiego napisany na cześć niemieckiego chirurga Wilhelma Fabriciusa Hildanusa oraz ich nieznaną dotąd korespondencję (list Naborowskiego datowany 27 VII 1613 i dwa listy Hildanusa z 12 I 1614 i 20 III 1614). Zrekonstruowano przebieg znajomości poety (oraz jego patrona Janusza I Radziwiłła) z niemieckim medykiem na podstawie odnalezionej korespondencji, opublikowanej przez Hildanusa w zbiorze „Observationum et curationum chirurgicarum centuriae”. W liście Naborowskiego pojawiły się także nowe informacje na temat bitwy pod Guzowem, stoczonej podczas rokoszu Zebrzydowskiego.
Central European Cultures, 2021
The subject of this article is a Polish-language collection of emblems by Paweł Mirowski, the Spi... more The subject of this article is a Polish-language collection of emblems by Paweł Mirowski, the Spiritual Hammer, 1656. The work is in fact a paraphrase of Thomas à Kempis's Imitatio Christi, which the author admits neither on the title page nor in the preface. In addition, the translation is supplemented with five to seven engravings (depending on the surviving copies) of an emblematic kind. The purpose of this article is twofold. Firstly, to juxtapose Mirowski's translation with Kempis's work in order to reveal his translation techniques and discuss the advisability of their use. Secondly, to analyse the purpose of using emblematics in the Imitatio Christi and to point to two hitherto unknown copper engravings preserved in a unique copy of the Seminary Library in Warsaw.
Terminus, 2021
This edition and translation of the newly discovered emblem designs by Tomasz Treter (1547-1610) ... more This edition and translation of the newly discovered emblem designs by Tomasz Treter (1547-1610) is complementary to Alicja Bielak's article (this issue) on a manuscript attributed to the Canon of Warmia. Anna Treter's translation was intended to be faithful to the original in terms of content and style. The edition is based on the manuscript MM 378 from Biblioteca Civica Angelo Mai in Bergamo (fol. 9 r.-21 r.). The 25 sketches of emblems to be elaborated on below open Treter's private notebook, with entries dating from the period between 20 June 1569 and 2 March 1575, as evidenced by the dates inside the codex, which does not exclude the possibility that Treter made corrections and additions after 1575. The notebook includes designs of full-sized emblems with titles, mottos, epigrams and images. Sketches drawn with a quill present a general concept of a composition, without any details (disegni). The title of the notebook was proposed by the editor as the author did not name it. The name written on the spine of the codex (Imprese) is likely to have been supplied later by an unknown person. As far as the themes dealt with in the emblems are concerned, the epigrams are mostly excerpts from the works of Saint Gregory the Great, Saint Augustine and Tertullian, (which was every time cited in the explanatory notes). In the commentary, the sources of graphical inspirations are also traced to Claude Paradin. The other 73 designs from the Bergamo codex, not included in this edition, are sketches of the emblems Symbolica vitae Christi meditatio (Braniewo: Jerzy Schönfels, 1612).
Terminus, 2021
The goal of the paper is to present the attribution and codicological analysis of a manuscript cu... more The goal of the paper is to present the attribution and codicological analysis of a manuscript currently stored at Biblioteca civica Angelo Mai in Bergamo (sign. MM 378). The paper describes the manuscript codicologically, also hypothesizing as to its presence in the Bergamo library. Based on a manuscript annotation on the codex's upper pastedown, I argue that it was intended as a gift for one of the Załuski family. On the basis of the printed correspondence between Józef Andrzej Załuski and Angelo Maria Querini, it may be assumed that Codex MM 378 was among the parcels containing manuscripts from the circle of Stanisław Hosius that the Italian librarian intended to send to Załuski. The boxes with the codices never reached the Polish librarian due to the tardiness of the messenger, Jacques David Frédéric Perard. It is claimed here that both the inscriptions and images in the code are authored by Tomasz Treter. The manuscript's attribution was based on palaeographic analysis (comparing the handwriting with Treter's epistolography stored in the archives in Kraków and Olsztyn). According to the dates included in the code, the inscriptions were made between 20 June 1569 and 2 March 1575. The manuscript thus represents the earliest known evidence of Treter's artistic activity. The autograph contains some previously unknown emblems by Treter, and a preliminary design of the emblem work "Symbolica vitae Christi meditatio" (published 1612). As many as 51 sketches in the manuscript overlap with the emblematic icons of the 1612 printing, all of which are more symbolic (hieroglyphic) representations of Christian virtues known from Treter's printing, while there are no sketches of icons in the printed book referring to specific biblical scenes. Therefore, there is still uncertainty about the authorship of these compositions, which also differ in the quality of rendition from the previously mentioned ones. Comparing the autograph with the artist's later published work offers insight into his technique. The drawings in the manuscript show very clear inspiration of Claude Paradin, Gabriel Syméon, Aneau Barthélemy and Andrea Alciato, which is not always conspicuous in the printed version. The analysis includes the final note, mentioning imprese with the painter Lorenzo Lotto, which explains correspondences between this artist's work and the emblems from Symbolica vitae Christi meditatio.
Quid est secretum? Visual Representation of Secrets in Early Modern Europe, 1500–1700, eds. R. Dekoninck, A. Guiderdoni, W. Melion, Leiden: Brill, p. 191-228, 2020
All of Marcin Hińcza’s (1592–1668) works were heavily influenced by the
Ignatian requirement of c... more All of Marcin Hińcza’s (1592–1668) works were heavily influenced by the
Ignatian requirement of compositio loci – a directive to imagine in the minutest scenographic detail the subject to be meditated. The Polish Jesuit met this requirement by populating his meditative collections with literary devices such as enargeia or ekphrasis and with illustrative elements borrowed from engravings. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of that time, the production of prints by specialist engravers was still in its infancy. However, Hińcza’s high position in the order’s hierarchy (he was named provincial of the Jesuit province of Poland twice) enabled him to order copperplates from abroad. He was extraordinarily interested in visuality, both in the theological sense (the figure of sight as an epistemological medium that transfers per visibilia ad invisibilia is crucially featured in all his works) and in the practical sense – he had a great understanding of ‘the power of images’ to forcefully influence the beholder. The paper examines his persuasive technics present in the ekphrasis to his emblems which were based on the logic of the paradox.
Ruch Biblijny i Liturgiczny, 2020
Dr Alicja Bielak (Uniwersytet Warszawski) rozmawia z drem Jakubem Korylem (Uniwersytet Jagiellońs... more Dr Alicja Bielak (Uniwersytet Warszawski) rozmawia z drem Jakubem Korylem (Uniwersytet Jagielloński) oraz drem hab. Maciejem Ptaszyńskim (Uniwersytet Warszawski) na temat miejsca i funkcji Biblii we wczesnonowożytnych polemikach wyznaniowych. Rozmówcy poruszają problematykę filologicznego rodowodu biblistyki i jej stopniowego wyodrębniania się jako dyscypliny, kontrowersjach i sporach, które narastały w związku z przekładami i popularyzacją Pisma Świętego, a także jego interpretacją we wspólnotach wyznaniowych, oraz kluczowej roli tłumaczeń w procesie konfesjonalizacji.
Odrodzenie i Reformacja w Polsce, 2020
Artykuł omawia fragmenty bazylejskiego rękopisu, dziennika Thomasa Plattera Młodszego z jego podr... more Artykuł omawia fragmenty bazylejskiego rękopisu, dziennika Thomasa Plattera Młodszego z jego podróży po Francji, w których został wspomniany Daniel Naborowski. Dokument rzuca nowe światło na biografi ę polskiego poety. Okazało się, że między Orleanem a Genewą Naborowski odwiedził na początku 1596 r. Montpellier, Nîmes i Awinion. Znaczenie źródła polega na tym, że Platter daje szczegółowy wgląd we wczesny okres życia poety z czasów studenckich, jeszcze przed zaciągnięciem się przezeń na służbę Radziwiłłów. Platter cytuje wręcz wypowiedzi Naborowskiego, który pełnił funkcję tłumacza młodych podróżnych podczas (czasem konfrontacyjnych) kontaktów z obcymi nacjami.
Terminus, 2018
The aim of this paper is first of all to present graphic sources of "Symbolica vitae Christi medi... more The aim of this paper is first of all to present graphic sources of "Symbolica vitae Christi meditatio" by Tomasz Treter in three 16th-century emblematic works from the French and Dutch circles, namely by Junius Hadrianus ("Emblemata"), Claude Paradin ("Devises heroïques"), and Aneau Barthélemy ("Picta poesis"). It also presents an analysis of the composition of Treter’s collection and situates it in the context of emblematic meditations, promoted by Jesuits in the 16th century. Th e following four emblems are analysed in detail: Nativitas, Manifestata veritas, Circumcisio, and Continentia.
They provide both a metacommentary on the role of image in cognition and an illustration of the relationship between pair of emblems throughout whole collection. The first hundred emblems in Treter’s collection are arranged in pairs, in which the fi rst one shows an episode from the life of Christ, while the second one transposes the biblical story into a symbolic language. The quoted fragment of Jesus’ life is each time used to discuss a Christian virtue expressed through an abstract symbol. At the same time, the traditional tripartite construction of the emblem becomes less strict as in Treter’s collection emblems take the form of two icons sharing a single subscription.
"Prace Filologiczne", no. 9(12), pt. 2: 13–28, 2019
Journeys of Daniel Naborowski to France (between 1605−1608), except for the tour of diplomatic du... more Journeys of Daniel Naborowski to France (between 1605−1608), except for the tour of diplomatic duty on behalf of Janusz Radziwiłł, were also an occasion for coming into contact with poets from the court of Henry IV. One of the popular literary movements of that time was moral poetry also called moral tetrastichs (established by Guy de Pibrac). Among the members of this current were Pierre Matthieu and Claude Guichard, aulic poets and historians. The aim of this article is to show resemblances and parallels between writings of the above mentioned poets and poems by DanielNaborowski (Impresa: "Calando poggiando", "The Brevity of Life") and pieces ascribed to him ("On this", "Secular Alternation").
Prace Filologiczne, 2015
W artykule wskazano źródła czterech utworów Daniela Naborowskiego ("Cień", "Róża", "Kur", "Kalend... more W artykule wskazano źródła czterech utworów Daniela Naborowskiego ("Cień", "Róża", "Kur", "Kalendy styczniowe") w dziełach francuskiego filologa klasycznego, Jeana Passerata. Dodatkowo miał on na celu prezentację nurtu pochwał Niczego, który rozwijał się we Włoszech i Francji na przestrzeni XVI i XVII wieku, a którego echa można zauważyć w tekstach Passerata i Naborowskiego.
The article focuses on a few works of Daniel Naborowski ("Cień", "Róża", "Kur", "Kalendy styczniowe"), proving that the said poems are not, as it has been considered until now,
original verses by this Polish poet. Authors have found their prototypes in a volume entitled "Kalendae Ianuariae" (1606) by Jean Passerat, a French poet and professor of rhetoric on the court of Henry III of France. The article attempts to reconfigure the status of the Polish writer, while calling into question labels such as: “commemoration poetry”
or “Mannerist conceptismo” which have been used until now to describe his poems. The tradition with which we should relate his works is, above all, an entirely neglected field
of Baroque adoxography known as “the praise of Nothing”. The 17th century “nihilism” is an intellectual current which enables to cast light on links between the Polish poet and the most important French and Italian intellectuals of the time.
Liber Amicorum: Emblems and Studies, ed. Pedro Germano Leal , 2022
Czasopismo Zakładu Narodowego im. Ossolińskich, 2017
Artykuł stanowi próbę rozpoznania roli Towarzystwa Jezusowego w krzewieniu pobożności medytacyjne... more Artykuł stanowi próbę rozpoznania roli Towarzystwa Jezusowego w krzewieniu pobożności medytacyjnej w szesnastowiecznym piśmiennictwie polskojęzycznym. Przedmiotem analizy są dwa przekłady dzieł Ludwika z Grenady dokonane przez jezuitów – Stanisława Warszewickiego (1530–1591) i Jana Wuchaliusza Leopolitę (1547–1608). Warszewicki przyswoił polszczyźnie fragment Libro de oración y meditación, opierając się na włoskiej
translacji Pietra Laura (Devotissime mediationi) i wydając dzieło jako Zwierciadło człowieka chrześcijańskiego (1577). Wuchaliusz wziął zaś na warsztat Vita Iesu Christi (opublikowane przez Michaela ab Isselta), które spolszczył jako Żywot Pana Jezusów (1592). W pierwszej części artykułu ukazane zostały zmiany owych podstaw, jakich tłumacze dokonali się w trakcie swojej pracy. W drugiej zaś zderzono tłumaczone teksty z dodanymi przez Polaków przedmowami, w których zdradzili oni przyczyny i cele przyswojenia medytacyjnych dzieł mistyka rodzimemu czytelnikowi.
/ Title: "How to meditate, and for what purpose? Instructions by the jesuits Stanisław Warszewicki (SI) and Jan Wuchaliusz (SI) in Introductions to the Works of Louis of Granada". Abstract: The article is an attempt to recognise the role of The Society of Jesus in promoting meditational devotion in 16th-century Polish literature. The subjects of analysis are two translations of works by Louis of Granada made by Jesuits - Stanisław Warszewicki (1530-1591) an Jan Wuchaliusz Leopolita (1547-1608). Warszewicki translated to Polish a fragment of "Libro de la oración y meditatión", based on an Italian translation by Petro Lauro ("Devotissime mediationi", under the Polish title of "Zwierciadło człowieka chrześcijańskiego" (1577, 1585). Wuchaliusz worked on "Vita Iesu Christi" (published by Michał Isselt), translated into Polish as "Żywot Pana Jezusów" (1592). The first part describes changes introduced by the translators. The second includes comparisons between the translated texts, along with the Polish introductions in which the translators explain their reasons for making Polish readers familiar with the meditational works of the Spanish mystic.
Books by Alicja Bielak
„Gdzie taniec, tam diabeł” pisał Jan Chryzostom, rozwodząc się nad pląsami Salome, które doprowad... more „Gdzie taniec, tam diabeł” pisał Jan Chryzostom, rozwodząc się nad pląsami Salome, które doprowadziły do stracenia Jana Chrzciciela. A jeśli tańczą aniołowie z Jezusem? Zbiór medytacji Plęsy aniołów (1638) jezuity Marcina Hińczy (1592-1668), napisany z okazji zaślubin Jana Daniłowicza, podskarbiego wielkiego koronnego, i Zofii z Tęczyńskich, to dzieło przepełnione konceptami, paradoksami i zaskakującymi skojarzeniami codziennych czynności z dogmatyką katolicką, służącą kaznodziei jako podpora w dowodzeniu świętości tańca uważanego powszechnie za czynność parszywą i grzeszną. Pobożność medytacyjna zakładała angaż „oczu duszy”, dlatego tekstom Hińczy towarzyszy 14 ikonów emblematycznych, które w połączeniu z ekfrazami miały gwarantować Czytelnikowi możliwość skutecznego przeprowadzenia rozmyślań. Siedemnastowieczne wydanie, będące podstawą niniejszej edycji, to luksusowe przedsięwzięcie wydawnicze, zilustrowane zamówionymi specjalnie do tego tomu miedziorytami autorstwa niderlandzkiego rytownika Egidiusa van Schoora, który jako inspirację obrał dzieła Petera Paula Rubensa.
Dwujęzyczna edycja zawiera dwa dzieła Louisa Coqueleta (1676–1754): "L’Éloge de Rien, dédié à Per... more Dwujęzyczna edycja zawiera dwa dzieła Louisa Coqueleta (1676–1754): "L’Éloge de Rien, dédié à Personne" i "L’Éloge de Quelque Chose, dédié à Quelqu’un" oraz ich przekład dokonany przez Józefa Epifaniego Minasowicza (1718–1796): "Nic francuskie na Nic polskie przenicowane albo Pochwała Niczego przypisana Nikomu" oraz "Pochwała Czegoś przypisana Komuś z przemową śpiewną z francuskiego" (Warszawa: w drukarni Mitzlerowskiej, 1769. W aneksie zamieszczono także utwór "Nihil" Jeana Passerata.
We wstępie do edycji przedstawiono historię i specyfikę nurtu pochwał Niczego na tle filozoficznych i teologicznych dysput oraz nowożytnych osiągnięć naukowych (m.in. odkrycia próżni).
//
Cette édition contient deux œuvres de Louis Coquelet (1676–1754) "L’Éloge de Rien, dédié à Personne" et "L’Éloge de Quelque Chose, dédié à Quelqu’un" (imprimées conjointement chez Antoine de Heuqueville, Paris 1730) et leur traduction par Józef Epifani Minasowicz (1718–1796): "Nic francuskie na Nic polskie przenicowane albo Pochwała Niczego przypisana Nikomu" et "Pochwała Czegoś przypisana Komuś z przemową śpiewną z francuskiego" (chez Wawrzyniec Mitzler de Kolof, Warszawa 1769).
La introduction consiste en elle-meme la description des notions de la domaine de l’histoire de la littérature et est concentrée sur la tradition des éloges de rien. On a présenté l’histoire de cette tradition en exposant ce genre littéraire et sa similitude avec les découvertes dans le physique et la cosmographie (les recherches sur le vacuum). La période principale du développement des éloges de rien en France et en Italie remonte à la fin du XVIe-XVIIe siècle. Dans la patrie de Coquelet les œuvres les plus fameuses et influentes de ce courant ont été : "Nihil" (Rien) de Jean Passerat et "Quelque Chose" de Phillippe Girard. En Italie, les écrivains et les philosophes particulièrement importants ont été les membres des institutions telles que : Accademia degli Incogniti (L’Académie des Inconnues) et Accademia degli Incauti (L’Académie des Imprudentes) à Naples et à Venise. Elles ont publié entre autres : Discorso academico in lode del Niente ("Le Discours académique à la louange de Rien", 1632) où ils démontrent la supériorité de Rien sur le Dieu. Dans l’œuvre de Coquelet les influences de cette tradition sont fortement visibles.
Projects by Alicja Bielak
The goal of the project is to examine the genre of meditative emblems (the so-called emblemata sa... more The goal of the project is to examine the genre of meditative emblems (the so-called emblemata sacra) within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth between the years c. 1570 and c. 1750, that is from the making of "Symbolica vitae Christi meditatio" by Tomasz Treter to "Pious desires" by Jan Turczyn. Researchers have not hitherto recognized or analysed this sub-genre of the emblem in Polish writings. I will build on the term coined in the 16th century (e.g. by Antonio Possevino; Claude-François Ménestrier) by adding new scientific approaches to it. The aim of the project is to examine the mutual relationship between meditative piety and the emblem genre in Polish writings.
PL title: Emblematy medytacyjne w Rzeczpospolitej od XVI do XVIII wieku: źródła, realizacje i cele
NCN, Preludium, 2018/31/N/HS2/01187
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Papers by Alicja Bielak
In the context of the emblematic tradition, this gradual from the second half of the seventeenth century is interesting for two reasons. First, it is the earliest known example of the reception of Tomasz Treter’s emblem collection "Symbolica vitae Christi meditatio" (1612). Second, and more importantly, it is the first known example of the use of emblems in a gradual. The graphic sources (besides Tomasz Treter) of initials include emblems by Paolo Giovio, Silvester Pietrasanta, Jan Ziarnko, and Sebastianus a Matre Dei. The gradual offers valuable insight into the use of multisensory media in Carmelite liturgical practices after the Council of Trent. The erudite emblems present in the gradual require the user to know the structure of the Mass as well as the context for the symbols which can be found both in the Bible and emblematic tradition.
Ignatian requirement of compositio loci – a directive to imagine in the minutest scenographic detail the subject to be meditated. The Polish Jesuit met this requirement by populating his meditative collections with literary devices such as enargeia or ekphrasis and with illustrative elements borrowed from engravings. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of that time, the production of prints by specialist engravers was still in its infancy. However, Hińcza’s high position in the order’s hierarchy (he was named provincial of the Jesuit province of Poland twice) enabled him to order copperplates from abroad. He was extraordinarily interested in visuality, both in the theological sense (the figure of sight as an epistemological medium that transfers per visibilia ad invisibilia is crucially featured in all his works) and in the practical sense – he had a great understanding of ‘the power of images’ to forcefully influence the beholder. The paper examines his persuasive technics present in the ekphrasis to his emblems which were based on the logic of the paradox.
They provide both a metacommentary on the role of image in cognition and an illustration of the relationship between pair of emblems throughout whole collection. The first hundred emblems in Treter’s collection are arranged in pairs, in which the fi rst one shows an episode from the life of Christ, while the second one transposes the biblical story into a symbolic language. The quoted fragment of Jesus’ life is each time used to discuss a Christian virtue expressed through an abstract symbol. At the same time, the traditional tripartite construction of the emblem becomes less strict as in Treter’s collection emblems take the form of two icons sharing a single subscription.
The article focuses on a few works of Daniel Naborowski ("Cień", "Róża", "Kur", "Kalendy styczniowe"), proving that the said poems are not, as it has been considered until now,
original verses by this Polish poet. Authors have found their prototypes in a volume entitled "Kalendae Ianuariae" (1606) by Jean Passerat, a French poet and professor of rhetoric on the court of Henry III of France. The article attempts to reconfigure the status of the Polish writer, while calling into question labels such as: “commemoration poetry”
or “Mannerist conceptismo” which have been used until now to describe his poems. The tradition with which we should relate his works is, above all, an entirely neglected field
of Baroque adoxography known as “the praise of Nothing”. The 17th century “nihilism” is an intellectual current which enables to cast light on links between the Polish poet and the most important French and Italian intellectuals of the time.
translacji Pietra Laura (Devotissime mediationi) i wydając dzieło jako Zwierciadło człowieka chrześcijańskiego (1577). Wuchaliusz wziął zaś na warsztat Vita Iesu Christi (opublikowane przez Michaela ab Isselta), które spolszczył jako Żywot Pana Jezusów (1592). W pierwszej części artykułu ukazane zostały zmiany owych podstaw, jakich tłumacze dokonali się w trakcie swojej pracy. W drugiej zaś zderzono tłumaczone teksty z dodanymi przez Polaków przedmowami, w których zdradzili oni przyczyny i cele przyswojenia medytacyjnych dzieł mistyka rodzimemu czytelnikowi.
/ Title: "How to meditate, and for what purpose? Instructions by the jesuits Stanisław Warszewicki (SI) and Jan Wuchaliusz (SI) in Introductions to the Works of Louis of Granada". Abstract: The article is an attempt to recognise the role of The Society of Jesus in promoting meditational devotion in 16th-century Polish literature. The subjects of analysis are two translations of works by Louis of Granada made by Jesuits - Stanisław Warszewicki (1530-1591) an Jan Wuchaliusz Leopolita (1547-1608). Warszewicki translated to Polish a fragment of "Libro de la oración y meditatión", based on an Italian translation by Petro Lauro ("Devotissime mediationi", under the Polish title of "Zwierciadło człowieka chrześcijańskiego" (1577, 1585). Wuchaliusz worked on "Vita Iesu Christi" (published by Michał Isselt), translated into Polish as "Żywot Pana Jezusów" (1592). The first part describes changes introduced by the translators. The second includes comparisons between the translated texts, along with the Polish introductions in which the translators explain their reasons for making Polish readers familiar with the meditational works of the Spanish mystic.
Books by Alicja Bielak
We wstępie do edycji przedstawiono historię i specyfikę nurtu pochwał Niczego na tle filozoficznych i teologicznych dysput oraz nowożytnych osiągnięć naukowych (m.in. odkrycia próżni).
//
Cette édition contient deux œuvres de Louis Coquelet (1676–1754) "L’Éloge de Rien, dédié à Personne" et "L’Éloge de Quelque Chose, dédié à Quelqu’un" (imprimées conjointement chez Antoine de Heuqueville, Paris 1730) et leur traduction par Józef Epifani Minasowicz (1718–1796): "Nic francuskie na Nic polskie przenicowane albo Pochwała Niczego przypisana Nikomu" et "Pochwała Czegoś przypisana Komuś z przemową śpiewną z francuskiego" (chez Wawrzyniec Mitzler de Kolof, Warszawa 1769).
La introduction consiste en elle-meme la description des notions de la domaine de l’histoire de la littérature et est concentrée sur la tradition des éloges de rien. On a présenté l’histoire de cette tradition en exposant ce genre littéraire et sa similitude avec les découvertes dans le physique et la cosmographie (les recherches sur le vacuum). La période principale du développement des éloges de rien en France et en Italie remonte à la fin du XVIe-XVIIe siècle. Dans la patrie de Coquelet les œuvres les plus fameuses et influentes de ce courant ont été : "Nihil" (Rien) de Jean Passerat et "Quelque Chose" de Phillippe Girard. En Italie, les écrivains et les philosophes particulièrement importants ont été les membres des institutions telles que : Accademia degli Incogniti (L’Académie des Inconnues) et Accademia degli Incauti (L’Académie des Imprudentes) à Naples et à Venise. Elles ont publié entre autres : Discorso academico in lode del Niente ("Le Discours académique à la louange de Rien", 1632) où ils démontrent la supériorité de Rien sur le Dieu. Dans l’œuvre de Coquelet les influences de cette tradition sont fortement visibles.
Projects by Alicja Bielak
PL title: Emblematy medytacyjne w Rzeczpospolitej od XVI do XVIII wieku: źródła, realizacje i cele
NCN, Preludium, 2018/31/N/HS2/01187
In the context of the emblematic tradition, this gradual from the second half of the seventeenth century is interesting for two reasons. First, it is the earliest known example of the reception of Tomasz Treter’s emblem collection "Symbolica vitae Christi meditatio" (1612). Second, and more importantly, it is the first known example of the use of emblems in a gradual. The graphic sources (besides Tomasz Treter) of initials include emblems by Paolo Giovio, Silvester Pietrasanta, Jan Ziarnko, and Sebastianus a Matre Dei. The gradual offers valuable insight into the use of multisensory media in Carmelite liturgical practices after the Council of Trent. The erudite emblems present in the gradual require the user to know the structure of the Mass as well as the context for the symbols which can be found both in the Bible and emblematic tradition.
Ignatian requirement of compositio loci – a directive to imagine in the minutest scenographic detail the subject to be meditated. The Polish Jesuit met this requirement by populating his meditative collections with literary devices such as enargeia or ekphrasis and with illustrative elements borrowed from engravings. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of that time, the production of prints by specialist engravers was still in its infancy. However, Hińcza’s high position in the order’s hierarchy (he was named provincial of the Jesuit province of Poland twice) enabled him to order copperplates from abroad. He was extraordinarily interested in visuality, both in the theological sense (the figure of sight as an epistemological medium that transfers per visibilia ad invisibilia is crucially featured in all his works) and in the practical sense – he had a great understanding of ‘the power of images’ to forcefully influence the beholder. The paper examines his persuasive technics present in the ekphrasis to his emblems which were based on the logic of the paradox.
They provide both a metacommentary on the role of image in cognition and an illustration of the relationship between pair of emblems throughout whole collection. The first hundred emblems in Treter’s collection are arranged in pairs, in which the fi rst one shows an episode from the life of Christ, while the second one transposes the biblical story into a symbolic language. The quoted fragment of Jesus’ life is each time used to discuss a Christian virtue expressed through an abstract symbol. At the same time, the traditional tripartite construction of the emblem becomes less strict as in Treter’s collection emblems take the form of two icons sharing a single subscription.
The article focuses on a few works of Daniel Naborowski ("Cień", "Róża", "Kur", "Kalendy styczniowe"), proving that the said poems are not, as it has been considered until now,
original verses by this Polish poet. Authors have found their prototypes in a volume entitled "Kalendae Ianuariae" (1606) by Jean Passerat, a French poet and professor of rhetoric on the court of Henry III of France. The article attempts to reconfigure the status of the Polish writer, while calling into question labels such as: “commemoration poetry”
or “Mannerist conceptismo” which have been used until now to describe his poems. The tradition with which we should relate his works is, above all, an entirely neglected field
of Baroque adoxography known as “the praise of Nothing”. The 17th century “nihilism” is an intellectual current which enables to cast light on links between the Polish poet and the most important French and Italian intellectuals of the time.
translacji Pietra Laura (Devotissime mediationi) i wydając dzieło jako Zwierciadło człowieka chrześcijańskiego (1577). Wuchaliusz wziął zaś na warsztat Vita Iesu Christi (opublikowane przez Michaela ab Isselta), które spolszczył jako Żywot Pana Jezusów (1592). W pierwszej części artykułu ukazane zostały zmiany owych podstaw, jakich tłumacze dokonali się w trakcie swojej pracy. W drugiej zaś zderzono tłumaczone teksty z dodanymi przez Polaków przedmowami, w których zdradzili oni przyczyny i cele przyswojenia medytacyjnych dzieł mistyka rodzimemu czytelnikowi.
/ Title: "How to meditate, and for what purpose? Instructions by the jesuits Stanisław Warszewicki (SI) and Jan Wuchaliusz (SI) in Introductions to the Works of Louis of Granada". Abstract: The article is an attempt to recognise the role of The Society of Jesus in promoting meditational devotion in 16th-century Polish literature. The subjects of analysis are two translations of works by Louis of Granada made by Jesuits - Stanisław Warszewicki (1530-1591) an Jan Wuchaliusz Leopolita (1547-1608). Warszewicki translated to Polish a fragment of "Libro de la oración y meditatión", based on an Italian translation by Petro Lauro ("Devotissime mediationi", under the Polish title of "Zwierciadło człowieka chrześcijańskiego" (1577, 1585). Wuchaliusz worked on "Vita Iesu Christi" (published by Michał Isselt), translated into Polish as "Żywot Pana Jezusów" (1592). The first part describes changes introduced by the translators. The second includes comparisons between the translated texts, along with the Polish introductions in which the translators explain their reasons for making Polish readers familiar with the meditational works of the Spanish mystic.
We wstępie do edycji przedstawiono historię i specyfikę nurtu pochwał Niczego na tle filozoficznych i teologicznych dysput oraz nowożytnych osiągnięć naukowych (m.in. odkrycia próżni).
//
Cette édition contient deux œuvres de Louis Coquelet (1676–1754) "L’Éloge de Rien, dédié à Personne" et "L’Éloge de Quelque Chose, dédié à Quelqu’un" (imprimées conjointement chez Antoine de Heuqueville, Paris 1730) et leur traduction par Józef Epifani Minasowicz (1718–1796): "Nic francuskie na Nic polskie przenicowane albo Pochwała Niczego przypisana Nikomu" et "Pochwała Czegoś przypisana Komuś z przemową śpiewną z francuskiego" (chez Wawrzyniec Mitzler de Kolof, Warszawa 1769).
La introduction consiste en elle-meme la description des notions de la domaine de l’histoire de la littérature et est concentrée sur la tradition des éloges de rien. On a présenté l’histoire de cette tradition en exposant ce genre littéraire et sa similitude avec les découvertes dans le physique et la cosmographie (les recherches sur le vacuum). La période principale du développement des éloges de rien en France et en Italie remonte à la fin du XVIe-XVIIe siècle. Dans la patrie de Coquelet les œuvres les plus fameuses et influentes de ce courant ont été : "Nihil" (Rien) de Jean Passerat et "Quelque Chose" de Phillippe Girard. En Italie, les écrivains et les philosophes particulièrement importants ont été les membres des institutions telles que : Accademia degli Incogniti (L’Académie des Inconnues) et Accademia degli Incauti (L’Académie des Imprudentes) à Naples et à Venise. Elles ont publié entre autres : Discorso academico in lode del Niente ("Le Discours académique à la louange de Rien", 1632) où ils démontrent la supériorité de Rien sur le Dieu. Dans l’œuvre de Coquelet les influences de cette tradition sont fortement visibles.
PL title: Emblematy medytacyjne w Rzeczpospolitej od XVI do XVIII wieku: źródła, realizacje i cele
NCN, Preludium, 2018/31/N/HS2/01187
PL title: Zapomniany innowator europejskiej emblematyki. Marcin Hińcza - nierozpoznane ogniwo polskiej kultury]
czy techniki powielania ilustracji.
W wyborze artykułów do niniejszej księgi kierowaliśmy się opiniami dr. Jacka Głażewskiego (Wydział Polonistyki UW), prof. Joanny Partyki (Wydział „Artes Liberales” UW, IBL PAN) oraz dr. Kamila Kopani (Instytut Historii Sztuki UW). Tom otwierają teksty doświadczonych badaczy związków słowa i obrazu w epokach dawnych – dr. Piotra Rypsona (Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie) oraz dr Magdaleny Górskiej (IBL PAN)".
[ze wstępu do tomu autorstwa Pawła Stępnia i Alicji Bielak]
Autorzy artykułów i wywiadów: Araszkiewicz Aleksanra, Bielak Alicja, Bylewska Dorota, Cetera Anna, Franczak Grzegorz, Kamiński Piotr, Kordyzon Wojciech, Kuc Natalia, Lam Andrzej, Masłej Dorota, Mrowcewicz Krzysztof, Pawełczak Maria, Pietkiewicz Rajmund, Pifko Anna, Sadzik Piotr, Wojtkowska-Maksymik Marta, Wójcicki Jacek, Wróbel Łukasz.