St. Joseph's side altar

Abstract

The altar of Saint Joseph was created at the beginning of the 18th century, before 1728. It is known that it was consecrated in 1771 by the suffragan bishop of Chełm, Dominik Józef Kiełczewski, as evidenced by the inscription preserved on the mensa. In 1851, it was renovated at the expense of Józef Mianowski (d. in 1854) and his wife Teodora née Oczosalska (d. in 1884), most probably by the painter and gilder Wojciech Dembowski. In the years 1994–1995 it was conserved in Cracow by Filip Kowalczyk. In artistic terms, it is a pair with the altar of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne made at the same time and probably in the same wood carving workshop. The date 1528, placed in a medallion in the altar finial, according to Teresa Małkowska-Holcerowa – a monographer of the church in Paczółtowice, refers to an older reredos with the same invocation. The title painting depicts the saint holding Baby Jesus against clouds and surrounded by winged angel heads and putti. The image in the finial during canonical visitations and inventories of the church in Paczółtowice was described as the representation of Saint John the Evangelist, however, Teresa Małkowska-Holcerowa believes that it shows Mary, whose image "ideally completes the scene of the title image." Research carried out during the last restoration of the reredos has shown that both paintings were not originally intended for this altar. Their dimensions were adapted to the frames in which they were placed.