Pinzel’s Louvre laurels
Last week the exhibition of Johann Georg Pinzel long awaited by visitors opened in Paris. After three years of preparation the Louvre received the art works of Ukrainian sculptor with honors.
Arriving to one of the largest museums in the world, I feel pride and exaltation: the posters “Johann Georg Pinzel: Baroque sculptor in Ukraine in the 18th century” can be seen from a distance. They were put up only a few days ago, but it is not a barrier for the great event. First Ukrainian artist to be exhibited in Louvre has rather outstanding neighbors. Along with the exhibition of the Ukrainian sculptor there are two other exhibitions opened in the gallery: “Raphael: Last Years” and “Cyprus between Byzantium and the West: 4th to 16th century.”
It is rather easy to find the Chapel Hall (the former Chapel of Louis XVI) where the exposition is displayed. You should go to the Sully wing, turn left, and climb steep stairs two floors up. Pointers with a photo of one of the sculptures help to find the way. It is impossible to get lost.
At first sight the exhibition looks seemingly small. However, one can spend a good hour in this rather small room. There are nearly 30 sculptures and visitors can look at them for an infinite period of time. Anyone who has ever seen the art work by Pinzel and was exposed to its charm would understand me. Besides, well-written curator texts in English, French, and Spanish make things easier to understand. You want to take time to read them slowly savoring each word.
There are also presented old photographs of churches in Horodenka, Buchach, and Hodovytsia. On the photos you can see colored marks and numbers on the spots where the sculptures, presented at the exhibition, were installed. The two maps that illustrate one of the texts show the geographical situation in Eastern Europe as of 1740. The map shows not only the borders of the Kingdom of Poland and its neighboring states, but also all the main cities of Galicia (it is enlarged and presented on a separate map too). In such a way, visitors have a chance to learn (often for the first time) about this part of the world in that time.
Museography is quite simple. Walls are painted in terracotta and white. Small pedestals under monumental figures – two higher ones, round in plan, under medium size sculptures placed in the center of the exhibition. The smallest exhibits are presented in several showcases. Modello-figures from Munich and a small statue of St. Joachim from the Trinitarian Church in Lviv.
DEDICATED TO THE RESCUER
The curator Hilem Scherf, chief curator of the local department of sculpture, welcomes all the guests. He is joined by one of the authors of the catalogue Jan K. Ostrowski, professor of Jagiellonian University, director of the palace Wawel (Krakow), and Larysa Voznytska-Razinkova, director of Lviv National Art Gallery. Right after presenting the exhibition to the audience Scherf said: “It is dedicated to Borys Voznytsky.” He also stressed that the exhibition would have not taken place without his many years of work.
In the catalogue and the press pack you can easily come across a great interview given by him to Jan K. Ostrowski. Therefore, despite the fact that the director did not live a few months until the grand opening of the landmark exhibition, we have the opportunity to quote excerpts from his telling about Pinzel’s return. It all started like this (originally told in French): “With a diploma from Leningrad Academy I was the first Soviet art historian in Lviv. I was not afraid of anyone: my military past was way behind me with no doubt. I did not ask anyone’s permission to do something. I realized that if I would go to a party committee to ask if I could take custody of, let’s say, Olesko Castle, the answer would be no. Thus, I did what I thought was necessary. I organized expeditions with a group of my colleagues from the Museum of Ukrainian Art. We brought icon screen painted by the artist Yov Kondzelevych from Volhynia. But our first expedition was to the village of Hodovytsia, barely a few kilometers from the city of Lviv. At that time I did not realize that in order to protect all the artwork we came across on our way, we had to take it with us…” And then there were years of research, discoveries, and bitter disappointments. Sometimes he managed to rescue valuable works right from under someone’s ax and sometimes expedition would come too late: “When I arrived in Monastyryska, there had already been nothing in the church it was turned into a grain warehouse. I stayed there for three of four days, I met with Party and administration officials. And everywhere I asked: ‘Where are the statues from the church?’ They told me that perhaps they were transported to a church in a neighboring village. I would go there but found nothing.” Researchers managed to find only the statue of Saint Anna of all the monastery works by Pinzel. Today this sculpture is also presented in Louvre.
EXPRESSION FOR COMMON PEOPLE
The greatest pride of the exhibition is the reconstruction of the altar from the village of Hodovytsia: Crucifixion in the center and angels at his feet. Right next to them is the grieving Virgin Mary and the saints. Pinzel’s famous sculptures “Abraham sacrificing Isaac” and “Samson tearing the jaws of the lion” are the part of the same group. The curator of the exhibition Scherf noted that his favorite sculpture is the Grieving Virgin Mary. He believes that the secret of Pinzel’s unique power was in that he worked for common people. He spoke to the illiterate rather than to the elites, he had to be clear, expressive, and emotional. His works had to strengthen the faith and encourage empathy.
“The sculptures from Hodovytsia were well preserved. The gilding that you can see has been preserved, we have not added anything only polished it. Most of the sculptures that were once casually covered with white paint can not be restored to their original state. Gilding under them has not survived. With one sculpture, however, we managed to restore it to the way it looked at the time of Pinzel. The mentioned sculpture is the statue of the Saint Joachim (Lviv National Art Gallery). Restorers made the so-called ‘windows’ in the top layer of paint. So we opened the original old gilding. The decision to restore the sculpture to its original state was made very quickly.”
Specialists from Lviv and Kyiv worked on restoration. There was no need in assistance of the colleagues from Louvre. According to the curator “Ukrainian restorers arrived in France to prepare the art works for the exhibition. This was necessary because, for example, Samson Tearing the Jaws of the Lion consists of seven parts that need to be put together.” To the question about how many vehicles were used for transportation of the art works the curator answered with a smile: “One or two trucks, no more.”
Scherf is genuinely interested in personalized manner of the Ukrainian artist. He says: “Just look at these fabrics, which seem to flow, these sharp creases, these planes that intersect, this expression of gestures!” Each of these peculiarities is expressed not only in large-scale sculptures, but also in the tiny models. Ten years ago Bayerisches Nationalmuseum in Munich purchased them for its collection. They also are presented at the exhibition.
The chief curator of the Department of Sculpture believes that Pinzel is stylistically close to his Bavarian contemporary Ignaz Guenther, even though he worked in a much softer rocaille style. Instead, he considers the popular parallel with Michelangelo to be groundless. This is not surprising: different times, different styles…
NEW DIMENSIONS
At the presentation apart from direct participants of the restoration process, scientific research, and publication of Pinzel’s works Mykhailo Kulyniak, Minister of Culture of Ukraine was also present. He expressed the hope that the exhibition will open Ukraine to Europe.
Let’s say that the process has begun. Exposition of Pinzel’s art work in Louvre is not just a chance to present Ukraine to the world, but also a chance to open a new dimension for research for European art historians, a new dimension of knowledge for ordinary visitors of the exhibition, and a new round of Ukrainian-French cultural relations. Hopefully, this will have the continuation.
