Panelling in the chancel of the church of Saint John the Baptist in Skalbmierz
Panelling in the chancel of the church of Saint John the Baptist in Skalbmierz

Summary/Abstract: The wood paneling on the north and south walls and the paintings decorating them have not yet been devoted to monographic work. In the literature they are only mentioned twice. The paneling structure was dated to the 17th century, while the five paintings decorating it distinguished those created in the 17th century and the group described as "new". In the archives, information about the paneling in the presbytery appears only in the visit files from 1824. Information about the paneling that is still in the presbytery was first published in 1927 by priest Jan Wiśniewski. In 2017, the paneling on the southern wall of the presbytery was renovated, along with the two paintings therein. It was found then that the wooden structure of the paneling was built in 1907, which was associated with a fire that broke out in the church in February this year, and was cleaned of painting from the 17th century painting layer. Analyzing the painting decoration covering the structure of the paneling located on the north wall of the presbytery, a number of similarities were found connecting it with the decoration of the music choir and the now defunct stall and paneling on the opposite wall of the presbytery. This allowed the recognition of its implementation as one of the stages of archival confirmed renovation works carried out in the church and determining its dating.The identification of graphic designs by Matthäus Merian the Elder, on which the compositions of the paneling on the south side of the presbytery of Saint Peter and John the Evangelist and the pictures of Death on the opposite side of the presbytery based on the death of Ananias and the Baptism of Cornelius, were based on, allowed for more precise dating of the mentioned works. Composing the background for the main scene depicted in the paneling on the north side of the presbytery, the painting Saint Paul teaching in Athens, painted in the 20th century, used the performance of the Pantheon by Piranesi.

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