Obraz Matki Bożej Kodeńskiej ze zbiorów Muzeum „Górnośląski Park Etnograficzny w Chorzowie”
The Painting of Matka Boża Kodeńska from the Collection of the Museum “Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park in Chorzów”

Summary/Abstract: The following work presents an analysis of the style and range of conservation interference in anonymous painting entitled: Matka Boska Kodeńska (Eng. Holy Mary of Kodeńsk) from the collections of the Museum “Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park in Chorzów”. Except for the description of the already conducted works and challenges associated with the painting, the article also contains some references to the history of the prototype and tries to classify this work of art and attribute in to a particular artistic community. The Museum “Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park in Chorzów” has been the owner of this image since 2013. It was made on a paper and its condition was described as serious and deep destruction. Simultaneously, to conservation works the object’s iconography and origin were tested. The painting itself shows the Madonna portrayed frontally, which is a characteristic feature of the iconographical style, with the Child on her left hand and baton in the right hand. The characters are situated on a homogenous gold background sparkled with a few red stars. The anthropomorphic imaginations of the sun and moon are placed in the upper corners of the image. Mary and the Child are geometric, only their faces are treated individually, but they are also linear in comparison to the original work. The Madonna’s head is covered with a dark cloth decorated with white patterns. She wears a closed crown with rays extending from it. The infant Christ wears an opened crown with straight, sharp endings. The characters are wearing gold robes decorated with textural vertical and semicircular patterns. Due to this diversification of patterns the separate elements of costumes in the same golden color are highlighted. Different necklaces with crosses of white pearls, pinned with rose flowers on the chest of Mary and Jesus are the only decorative accents. The already conducted researches did not allow for unambiguous attribution and dating of the painting. However, the result of the conservation works that were carried out so far include rescue of the painting and restoration of its lost values.

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