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Arts & Communication Altar “Passion of Christ” in Lviv

drama of the event, portraying the turbulent dismay and The narrative relief composition “Entombment,”
anticipation of upheaval among the disciples. The sculptor depicted by the sculptor in a rock-hewn burial cave,
strives for a realistic depiction of the disciples’ characters in features a flat plastic solution. In the foreground is the
their detailed facial expressions, clothing, and the setting voluminous sculpture of the dead Christ with bent knees,
of the chamber. being placed in the tomb by secret disciples Joseph of

In the side bas-relief “Agony in the Garden,” the sculptor Arimathea, Nicodemus, and the Apostle James. His Mother
depicted the scene of Jesus Christ praying in the Garden of Mary and her cousin Mary, with hands in prayer, look at
Gethsemane, with arms outstretched, appealing to the Lord Him with sorrow. The flawless and realistic sculpture of
(Figure 8D). In the foreground, the sculptor portrayed the Christ’s figure evokes spiritual empathy in the believer and
apostles overcome with sleep. In the background, against the prompts reflection.
setting of mountainous nature, soldiers with spears and an The coats of arms of the Scholz-Wolfowicz family are
army approaching Christ are depicted. The emotional state crafted from alabaster, and their plastic design complements
and feelings of despair of Jesus Christ, the serene nature of the composition of the Passion of Christ altar. They are
the sleeping disciples with expressive almost portrait-like presented in the form of medallions. The coat of arms of Jan
features, and the tension of the waiting soldiers are skillfully Scholz-Wolfowicz depicted on the Passion of Christ altar
conveyed in the narrative scene. The perspective and multi- was crafted in the workshop of sculptor Van Hutte. On Jan
figure composition of the bas-relief create the illusion of
three-dimensional space, making the monumental narrative
bas-relief both picturesque and tragic.
In the tympanum of the aedicule, God the Father
is depicted (Figure 9), similar to the one found on an
over-window pediment of the townhouse of Jan Scholz-
Wolfowicz (Lviv, Rynok Square 23) (Figure 10). The top is
crowned with a large sculptural cartouche, adorned with
decorative volutes and floral ornamentation (Figure 9),
and topped with a small Crucifixion.
At the base of the altar is the relief “Entombment”
(Figure 11), with members of the donor’s family depicted in
the lower corners on the right and left sides. Men and women
in festive attire are shown kneeling with hands folded in prayer.
In the corners of the base are the family crests of Jan Scholz-
Wolfowicz, displayed in round medallions (Figure 12). 6(p.204)
Figure 10. God the Father on the pediment of the donor Jan Scholz-
Wolfowicz’s townhouse (Lviv, Rynok Square 23).
Source: Author’s photos, 2011

Figure 9. God the Father on the tympanum of the Passion of Christ altar’s
aedicule Figure 11. Relief “Entombment” in the base of the Passion of Christ altar
Source: Author’s photo, 2024 Source: Author’s photo, 2024

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 8 doi: 10.36922/ac.4738