Motyw obelisku w sztuce nagrobnej Warszawy jako element europejskiej tradycji sepulkralnej
The Obelisk as Motif: An Element of European Sepulchral Art in the Funeral Monuments of Warsaw

Summary/Abstract: In modern times the obelisk has been used in the decoration of tombs since the early 16th century. The first example of its use can be found in the Roman church Santa Maria del Popolo, in the Chigi Chapel, designed by Raphael. Not much later, this motif spread to Poland, where the oldest sepulchral monuments of this kind appear in Cracow, Płock and Gdańsk. Obelisks remain popular in this function until today, thanks to their symbolic meaning: they are associated with glory, constancy and immortality.

• Details
• Contents