The Symbol of the Sacred Heart above the Presbytery of the Jesuit Church in Kraków

New Research

Abstract

This article presents the latest research on the symbol of the Sacred Heart crowning the presbytery of the Jesuit church in Kraków (Fig. 1). This sculpture has not previously been the subject of scholarly attention. Source analysis, historical research, comparative studies, and iconographic examination made it possible to identify the model (Fig. 6) for both the original design for the eastern part of the church (Figs. 2–5) and the final project by Franciszek Mączyński (Fig. 10). The study revealed the reasons why the architect replaced the original concept with the motif ultimately realized. In this shift of the element’s ideological concept, one can observe, as in a lens, the process of the artist’s creative evolution, moving from Neo-Gothic and Parisian inspirations toward native and Neo-Baroque motifs transformed in the spirit of Modernism. The article also establishes the period of the work’s creation and identifies the previously unknown maker of the metal sculpture, Jan Tokarz, who is additionally documented in a photograph recording the construction of the building (Fig. 8). An analysis of the symbolism of the heart with a crucifix in the context of its placement reveals the profound ideological meaning of this unique motif.