Beata Studziżba-Kubalska
National Museum in Krakow
The Józef Mehoffer House
Abstract
According to tradition, on 12 September 1683, before the Battle of Vienna, John III Sobieski took part in a Holy Mass celebrated by the papal legate Marco d’Aviano in the Guardian Angels Chapel at the Church of St. Joseph on Kahlenberg near Vienna. The memory of this event was cultivated by the Polish community in Vienna from the mid-19th century on.
Fr Jakub Kukliński, the Resurrectionist rector of the church on Kahlenberg since 1906, undertook the task of renovating the church and the chapel, which had been named the Sobieski Chapel. Two competitions were held for the interior decoration project. Finally, this task was entrusted to Józef Mehoffer at the end of 1911. His plans for the decorations include the monumental composition Joannes Vinces, 1912, with the scene of the Mass of Marc d’Aviano and two painting sketches are connected with his concept of decoration: The Prayer of Innocent XI and The Archangel over the Battlefield, 1912–1913. As requested by his clients, in the scene Joannes Vinces Mehoffer referred to the Austrian tradition of depicting the memorable mass on Kahlenberg, including the German commanders together with Sobieski and his son James.
The painting Joannes Vinces is dominated by the means of expression characteristic of historical painting. Generally, Mehoffer’s concept of chapel decoration should be considered an expression of the artist’s search for new forms of monumental painting. His painting concept was not realized.
Keywords: The Sobieski Chapel, Kahlenberg, Józef Mehoffer, painting decorations, Sobieski, the Mass of Marc d’Aviano, Kukliński, historical painting
Bibliography
The archive sources
a) The Archive of the Resurrectionist Fathers at the Polish Catholic Mission in Vienna. A collection of archive materials (manuscripts, pamphlets, announcements and proclamations, photographs) concerning decorating the Sobieski Chapel in St. Joseph’s Church in Kahlenberg with paintings
b) Biblioteka Narodowa [The National Library]
Korespondencja Józefa Mehoffera. Listy do J. Mehoffera od… [The Correspondence of Józef Mehoffer. The Letters to J. Mehoffer from …], MS IV 7374, vol. 8, books 11 – 78, “Fr Jakub Kukliński”
c) Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich we Wrocławiu [The National Ossoliński Institute in Wrocław]
Mehofferowa Jadwiga Rozwój myśli twórczej Józefa Mehoffera, [The development of Józef Mehoffer’s creative mind], MS 14039/II
Mehofferowa Jadwiga, Biografia [Biography], Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich we Wrocławiu [The National Ossoliński Institute in Wrocław], MS 14041/ II.
Primary sources
Dalérac F. P., Les anecdotes de Pologne de Mémoires secrètes du Regne de Jean Sobieski III du nom, Amsterdam 1699.
Dyaryusz wideńskiej okazyi Imci Pana Mikołaja na Dyakowcach Dyakowskiego podstolego latyczewskiego [Journal of the Vienna Adventure by Sir Mikołaj of Dykaowce Dyakowski, Deputy-Master of the Pantry of Latyczewo], Warszawa 1983.
Jakób Sobieski Królewicz, Dyaryusz wyprawy wiedeńskiej w 1683 R. W 200 Jéj Rocznicę wydał w przekładzie i objaśnił Teodor Wierzbowski [Prince James Sobieski. The Journal of the Vienna Expedition of 1683. The Translation with the Commentary by Teodor Wierzbowski], Warszawa 1883.
Kłos Józef, Pamiętnik eucharystyczny [The Eucharistic Memoir], Poznań 1913.
Konkurs na urządzenie i dekorację kaplicy Sobieskiego przy kościele na Kahlenbergu pod Wiedniem [The competition for the furnishing and decoration of the Sobieski Chapel at the Church on the Kahlenberg near Vienna], „Architekt” 10, 1909, issues. 7, .8, 9, 10.
Kukliński Jakub, Spis Rycerstwa Polskiego z wyprawy Wiedeńskiej 1683 [The Register of Polish Knights from the Vienna Expedition], Vienna 1910; second (amended) edition Vienna 1912.
Kukliński Jakub, Krótka historia kościoła św. Józefa i Kaplicy króla Sobieskiego na Kahlenbergu [A Short History of St. Joseph’s Church and the King Sobieski Chapel on the Kahlenberg], Vienna 1931.
Marie Casimire and John Sobieski, Listy okresu odsieczy wiedeńskiej [The Letters from the Time of the Relief of Vienna], Warszawa 1983.
XXIII Międzynarodowy Kongres Eucharystyczny [23rd International Eucharistic Congress], Vienna 1912. The Polish Section, Poznań 1913.
Monographs and articles
Malfèr Stefan, Kaiserjubiläum und Kreuzesfrömmigkeit. Habsburgische „Pietas Austriaca” in den Glasfenstern der Pfarrkirche zum heiligen Laurentius in Wien-Breitensee, Wien, Köln, Weimar, 2011.
Nadolny Anastazy, Polskie duszpasterstwo w Austrii: 1801-1945 [Polish Pastoral Care in Austria 1801-1945], Lublin 1994.
Smoliński Jerzy, Kahlenberg – Kościół św. Józefa [Kahlenberg– St Joseph’s Church]. Wiedeń 1998.- Studziżba-Kubalska Beata, Kwestia realizacji Mehofferowskich projektów dekoracji malarskiej kaplicy Jana III Sobieskiego w kościele na Kahlenbergu, 1911-1914, w świetle zachowanych archiwaliów [Mehoffer’s projects of painted decorations for the John III Sobieski Chapel in the church on Kahlenberg, 1911-1914 and the question of their completion in light of the extant archives], „Zeszyty Historyczno-Teologiczne. Rocznik Zmartwychwstańców”, 22, 2016, pp. 169-188.- Taborski Roman, Polacy w Wiedniu [Poles in Vienna], Wrocław 1992.- Wimmer Jan, Wiedeń 1683. Dzieje kampanii i bitwy [Vienna 1683. The History of the Campaign and the Battle], Warszawa 1983.- Wolańska Joanna, Dzieje dekoracji kaplicy Sobieskiego przy kościele na Kahlenbergu w Wiedniu [History of the decorations of Sobieski’s chapel at the church on Kahlenberg in Vienna], „Sacrum et Decorum”, 10, 2017, pp. 67-86.4. Exhibition catalogues (selected)
Ausstellung für Kirchliche Kunst, katalog, Wien 1912 september-dezember, KK Österreichisches Museum für Kunst und Industrie.
Józef Mehoffer. The catalogue of the exhibition at the Towarzystwo „Zachęty” Sztuk Pięknych [The Society for Encouragement of the Fine Arts] in Warszawa, June – July – August 1935.
Józef Mehoffer. Katalog wystawy zbiorowej [Józef Mehoffer. The Catalogue of the General Exhibition], National Museum in Kraków, Nov – Dec 1964, eds. Z. Tobiaszowa, Z. Kucielska, H. Blum, Kraków 1964.