Kauno benediktinių vienuolyno Šv. Mikalojaus bažnyčios altorių ikonografijos ir meninės raiškos kaita XVII–XVIII a.

Abstract

Kaunas St. Nicholas (Benedictine) church, built in the 15th century, presently represents one of the few examples of Gothic that have remained in Lithuania. There are many surviving authentic architectural details on its façade and in its interior. Alas, we cannot say the same about the heritage of fine arts. In this respect the interior of St. Nicholas Church has experienced dramatic changes. Only one of Baroque altars, dating back to the end of the 17th century, has survived in this church – St. Benedict altar and several old paintings. The main altar of the 18th century which stood in the presbytery has also survived, although during the interwar period it was transferred to Ariogala St. Archangel Michael church in which it remained to this day. Today the solutions of the reconstruction carried out in 1938–1940 predominate in Kaunas Benedictine church. Seeing the current interior one inevitably wonders what the authentic space of this church was, what pieces of art were decorating it and what they told about the very Benedictines and their spirituality. The first information on the interior of Kaunas Benedictine church dates back to 1700, so one can only speak about its equipment and fine arts from the beginning of the 18th century and make certain prerequisites about the 17th century. The object of the article is the altars of Kaunas Benedictine St. Nicholas church of the 17th–18th centuries. Based on the surviving archive sources and pieces of art, the article revealed the altar titles, their place and change in the interior over time, artistic expression, established the ties of the iconographic program with Benedictine spirituality. Principal investigation methods are historical, formal and icon-theological. The article strives to reveal only the essential ties of spirituality and art, artistic altar features and their changes. [...]