Side altar of St. Joachim and St. Anne

Abstract

The altar of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, together with the twin altar of Saint Joseph, was created at the beginning of the 18th century, before 1728. Both works were mentioned in the protocol of canonical visitation of Bishop Michał Kunicki from this year as "newly created". These altars probably have replaced older reredoses that were previously housed in the church. Dates placed in medallions in the finial part of both altars - 1528 in the case of the altar of Saint Joseph and 1518 in the case of the altar of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, according to Teresa Małkowska-Holcerowa - a monographer of the church in Paczółtowice – refer to older reredoses with the same invocation as the baroque altars in the question. The title painting in the altar of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne presents a youthful Mary in the company of her parents, Anne and Joachim, i.e. an iconographic theme called the Holy Kinship. Depicted in the picture in the finial of the altar, Saint Sebastian lived in the 4th century. According to legend, he was an officer in the guard of Emperor Diocletian, who was tormented for professing faith in Christ. He was tied to a tree (or pole) and killed by arrows. In the years 1994–1995 the altars were conserved by Filip Kowalczyk in Cracow.