Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.15644/asc47/1/9
New Illustrations of st. Apollonia in the Churches of st. Catherine in Zagreb and Vodnjan
Goran Knežević
; Retired Professor of the School of Dental Medicine University of Zagreb, Croatia
Ana KOTARAC KNEŽEVIĆ
; Department of Oral Surgery, School of Dental Medicine University of Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The aim of the article is to describe the chapel of St. Apollonia in the Academic Church of St. Catherine in Zagreb because, apart from the previously described altarpiece which shows the saint, there is also a stucco relief in the church which shows the martyrdom of St. Apollonia, which has not previously been described in the dental literature. All artistic, sculptural and relief elements of the chapel are described and evaluations of their value are provided by art experts. The case of the iconographic illustration of St. Apollonia in the Romanesque Church of St. Catherine, Virgin and Martyr in Vodnjan is quite different. Namely, the frescos were recently discovered in the church which dates from the 14th century. During restoration work, which was commenced in 2012 by the Conservatory and Restoration Department for Mural and Mosaic of the Croatian Restoration Institute, frescos by an unknown author were revealed under a layer of mortar showing the figure of St. Apollonia. The first example in the Academic Church of St. Catherine is clearly visible, but was not described by authors in dental literature, and the second example in the Church of St. Catherine, Virgin and Martyr in Vodnjan was not visible and was later revealed by chance during restoration of frescos which had been covered with mortar. Both examples are described to increase the number of illustrations of St. Apollonia in the journal, and to present the situation today with regard to iconographic illustrations of the saint in Croatia, so that the content of visual arts closely connected with dental medicine is accessible to readers.
Keywords
Religion and Medicine; patron saints; Saint Apollonia; Academic Church of St. Catherine, Zagreb; Church of St. Catherine Virgin and Martyr, Vodnjan
Hrčak ID:
98663
URI
Publication date:
20.3.2013.
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