Poszukując obrazu historii. Średniowiecze we francuskiej sztuce XVIII stulecia
In Search of the Image of the History. Middle Ages in the 18th Century French Art

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this article is to show some basic iconographical problems that early modern artists had when they wanted to present a historical theme in their works. Despite the growing number of articles and books focusing on the historical consciousness and reflection on the history in the early modern times, we still observe a deficiency in analyses of a visual side of the history in art. Basing on several catchy judgments of Vasari or Moliere, it is often said that since the Renaissance, the Middle Ages with their art and culture were at least neglected, if not despised. We can state however that both artists and aesthetes often underlined importance of old artworks, which has been expressed clearly by Bernard de Mountfacon, who in the preface to his great work describing French monuments wrote that they “help to enlighten history and customs of the first kings”.

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