Confraternities of Knights in Prussia and their Art Foundations in the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Era.
Confraternities of Knights in Prussia and their Art Foundations in the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Era

Summary/Abstract: In the late Middle Ages in Prussian big towns some brotherhoods of knights consociating the elites of rich burghers came into being. It can assume, it was connected to some extent with local knightly tradition created by Teutonic Order. On the other hand, some facts allow to claim that these brotherhoods had Western origins and they were the symptom of broad phenomenon of the imitation of knightly culture by burghers. In the present paper we shall take a closer look at art foundations in the domain of sculpture, painting and silver work by the brotherhoods of knights: St George and St Reinhold. Iconography in these foundations, what is obvious, focused on the emphasizing of the patrons saints of the brotherhoods. We shall see that in some work of art founded by private sponsors the hints as to the affiliations of him to brotherhood of knights can be seen, we shall see also an example of brotherhood’s foundation with icon-ographic references to their most important members. Very well founders’ acquaintance with the Central – and West European art offer and sophisticated taste are striking. High, extraordinary standard of these art foundations reflect-ed elitism of brotherhoods of knights. Both confraternities ́ art foundations should have reflected their position, arouse admiration and envy. They were elements of competition with other social groups. They triggered artistic rivalry as well. The replicas having been commissioned by other confraternities, other social groups or even by other fractions of chivalric associations testify this fact.

• Details
• Contents