Professional paper

“Stone from Križovljan” following the “Stone from Belec”: Some Questions concerning the Context

Vladimir Peter Goss

Abstract

Having introduced in the latest issue of the Prilozi, “The Stone from Belec,” a rare example of figured medieval sculpture from Continental Croatia (probably 12th century), the author deals here with “The Stone of Križovljan,” a relief bearing seven heads (all apparently male) high on the facade of the 12th-13th century church of the Holy Cross at Križovljan (between Ludbreg and Varaždin). The scholars have so far seen the stone as a provincial Roman work (Gorenc-Vikić), as a Roman spolium reused and “resematicised” within a Christian context (Stošić), or as a Romanesque representation of donors (A. Horvat). By a careful analysis of the piece, especially its composition, the author concludes that the relief is a Romanesque work based on a Roman provincial model, and also, possibly, on some at this point still difficult to identify Celtic sources of inspiration. Just like the “Stone from Belec” that of Križovljan is “out of context” be it in Croatian Pannonia, or in the entire Carpathian basin, but there is a hope that by future careful scholarship of all available “out of context” pieces (Aracs, Somogyvár, etc.), such a context would emerge. In achieving this, pre-Slavic, Roman, and pre-Roman contexts of Pannonia, and their proper understanding, may play in important role. The relief from Križovljan, even if “resemanticised” probably represents members of a Templar (later Hospitaler) “domus”, which may have existed at Križovljan, although on this point there is a considerable degree of disagreement among scholars.

Keywords

Križovljan; Romanesque period; Medieval sculpture; Roman provincial art; the Celts; continental Croatia

Hrčak ID:

695

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/695

Publication date:

15.9.2005.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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