Sculpture of the Christ of Sorrows from Belarus

Abstract

The article discusses the history and style, the levels of the addition of the cult of the statue of the Christ of Sorrows (also known as the Man of Sorrows) from the Holy Trinity Church in the town of Ros’ in Belarus (Grodno Region). This church is a well-known sanctuary of Christ of Sorrows, a place of worship for believers from all over Belarus and other countries. Based on the analysis of archival documents, the issue of dating the sculpture within the boundaries of 1611–1618 has been resolved and its Neo-Gothic style, which developed in the symbiosis of the late Renaissance and early Baroque, with the Neo-Gothic accent characteristic for the early 17th century, which was considered the “new style” in Northern Europe at that time, has been determined. The sculpture was a reflection of the concept of Andachtsbild — a specific genre of art, the purpose of which is to excite the pious thoughts and intentions of the believer. Today, a sufficient number of sculptures of the Christ of Sorrows are known in museums and the existing churches of Belarus. There are even more indications of their presence in archival documents, both in Catholic and Orthodox shrines. This material is intended to show the meanings that affirm the obligatory nature of the images of the Christ of Sorrows in Eastern European art and the inevitability of its appearance (acceptance) at certain points in a large area from Western Europe to Eastern Europe in historical time. Sculpture in Ros’ is that unique example of a transitional time, when the art of Eastern Europe turned to the creation of early Baroque forms, synthesizing the forms of Gothic and Renaissance (Mannerism) in a certain conceptual direction of internal meditative practice, personal prayer.