Grain, Stone, and Red Velvet: the Material Assemblages of a City On
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Grain, Stone, and Red Velvet: The Material Assemblages of a City on the Vistula River in Poland, c. 1555 – c. 1655 by Katarzyna Jakobiec A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Art University of Toronto © Copyright by Katarzyna Jakobiec 2014 Grain, Stone, and Red Velvet: The Material Assemblages of a City on the Vistula River in Poland, c. 1555 – c. 1655 Katarzyna Jakobiec Doctor of Philosophy Department of Art University of Toronto 2014 Abstract This dissertation examines Kazimierz Dolny, a city situated at the geo-political center of the vast Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth within a time span of approximately one hundred years, 1550- 1655. During this time the city became a significant mercantile port due to its location on the Vistula River – the main trade route in early modern Poland. The merchants of Kazimierz Dolny oversaw the storage of grain and its export to Gdańsk, a commodity that was then shipped to other Baltic and North Sea ports. From this exchange, the merchants made significant financial gains that were channeled into the renovation of their city. Their investments included private stone-constructed granaries and ornamented residences, as well as public commissions such as churches and chapels. This thesis considers the ways in which mercantile networks and the movement of goods shaped a distinct material world. ii Acknowledgments The moment I stopped treating this dissertation as my arch nemesis and started embracing its imperfections, a change took place; by being kind to it and to myself, I brought this project to completion. A dissertation is a product that is forged from relationships the author has with herself and various individuals. The first person to whom I would like to express my deepest appreciation to is my thesis supervisor, Professor Christy Anderson. This amazing scholar, teacher, my model of a woman has been there for me every step of the way. I am humbled by her dedication, support, and patience as I staggered, got distracted, or got ahead of myself. Always keeping me grounded and advocating solid field (archival) research, she gave me the freedom to explore my intellectual curiosity, follow my own instincts, and ideas. I am grateful for this balance that had made our personal and working relationship ideal. When I was away doing research in Poland for almost five years, we had countless Skype calls that not only helped me stay connected to the university, Professor Anderson motivated me to keep going, and to come back. Thank you for visiting me in Poland; that was a greatly appreciated gesture of interest you showed in my field of study and my person. We travelled by car from Kraków to Gdańsk through Kazimierz Dolny and Zamość, and back south via Wrocław looking at buildings. We discovered together, Polish granaries and the Vistula River. Professor Anderson, I thank you so much for working with me on this project, for believing in me, for your constant presence, support, unweathering interest, and mentorship. Without your guidance and persistent help this dissertation would not have been possible. I am forever indebted and I look forward to a future of continuing collaboration. I could not have asked for a better thesis committee. Professor Evonne Levy, Professor Matt Kavaler, Professor Angela Vanhaelen, Professor Piotr Wróbel read my dissertation with great precision. All members raised pointed questions, flagged problems, and made astute observations. I thank them for contributing so much to the project; their ideas made this dissertation stronger and helped me to think about important modifications for future projects. I have taken many seminar courses with Professor Kavaler who has been a significant supporter of my work on Poland. He proposed that I work on St. Anne’s Church, in Vilnius, in his Renaissance Gothic seminar where I had an opportunity to explore Jagiellonian architecture, iii which resulted in my extensive exploration of the dynasty’s realm by travel, research, and my first publication. I want to acknowledge Professor Joan Coutu from the University of Waterloo where I did my undergrad in studio art and art history. Despite the small program, Joan lectured on many topics and varying methods to give aspiring art history students like me the education and resources to succeed in grad school. Thank you to Professor Robert Tittler and Professor Brian Cowan for inviting me to the Communicating Culture in Early Modern Europe, The Making Publics (MaPs) Project and Concordia University (Montreal, 24 May – 23 June, 2010) – it was a privilege to work with both of you and the network of the fellows present. In Poland I encountered many individuals that have made my research easier. Father Tomasz Lewniewski, the rector of the Fara Church named St. John the Baptist and St. Bartholomeu (Kościół Farny Św. Jana Chrzciciela i Św. Bartłomieja), in Kazimierz Dolny was a generous host who welcomed me into his home and gave me unlimited access to precious manuscripts that would become the spine of this dissertation. Great appreciation is extended to Dr. Marcin Wawerski at the Muzeum Nadwiślanskie (documentation and library division), where I spent months looking for ‘a needle in a haystack’ by requesting hundreds of documents that he graciously brought to me and filed away. Father Dr. Adam Błachut met with me and shared his extensive knowledge of the Franciscan Order in Poland and gave me all of his publications. I had the privilege to visit Professor Ryszard Szczygieł at the University of Mary Curie-Skłodowska in Lublin. His enthusiasm and excitement to see a foreign student working on Poland was greatly encouraging. He arranged a beautiful catalogue on the architecture of the Lublin area to be shipped to me from Mr. Andrzej Urbanski, director of Muzeum Zamojskie – I thank both for their generosity. It was an honour to meet great Polish art historians on whose research I relied so much, Professor Jerzy Kowalczyk met me at the PAN Institute in Warsaw; and Professor Piotr Kraśny at the Jagiellonian University. Besides the intellectual assistance, this dissertation was made possible by the generous funding of the Art Department at the University of Toronto; multiple grants awarded by the Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (CERES) at the University of Toronto; and Travel Grants awarded by the School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto. iv My little brother is my biggest fan and I am his – Greg, thank you for picking me up when I was down, more than once. Thank you to Tara Bissett for reading my dissertation and your valuable comments. Our multi-hour coffee meetings have always been intellectually stimulating and fun. There were other friends and colleagues that made grad school an enjoyable experience, especially Angela Glover and Linda Stone. My friends outside the department have also been greatly supportive and always available for wine and unwinding – the simple pleasures that a dissertation writer needs often. I thank BU and DP for passing by; for their interest and engagement in my work, companionship, listening to my rants and frustrations, and carrying my camera equipment around European cities – in essence, thanks for sharing the fun of my fieldwork. DP, thanks for showing me the world. My friends from the past and especially the present are the true meaning and value of my life; I am fortunate, grateful, and completely dependent on the pleasure of your company. Why Poland? I left Poland with my parents as a seven-year old girl. My parents ensured that I knew the language, while our annual traditions and rituals were conducted with great gravitas. Now when I look back at my childhood in Canada, I see that I was raised to respect and love my native land. Indeed, those customs were articulated by cues and symbols carrying deep meaning that had imprinted on my psyche a roadmap leading me back to Poland. The summers spent in Poland deepened my admiration for it, its rich history, and fantastic architecture. I hope that this dissertation and my future work promote this country to students of art and architecture – there is work to be done. I dedicate this dissertation to my parents. My mom has always been a powerful buttress of support – she is my model of strength, hard work, and independence. She has looked out for my well-being, she has been a shoulder to cry on, and helped me through the toughest times of my life. Her belief in me and constant effort to lift my spirits has been a precious gift. She has nurtured the deepest, the most hidden, and the most vulnerable aspects of my being. Thank you for always being there. My dad, with his bohemian soul, has most acutely understood my passion for art and given me the support and environment to pursue my dreams, adventure, and love. I thank my parents for knowing that I could do this before I decided that I will try. v Table of Contents Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. x List of Appendices ................................................................................................................... xxviii Chapter 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................