Fortis – Strong

In the central part of the bay, we have a scene seemingly contradicting the term “strong.” It is, after all, the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt from King Herod and his henchmen. It is also a sign of the Child’s weakness and helplessness. Additionally, in the Hebrew tradition, Egypt, the former house of bondage of the chosen people, was regarded as a land of darkness, superstition, and even as the abode of Satan.

However, according to the words of St. Paul in the First Letter to the Corinthians, God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. At the sight of the fleeing Child, the statues of pagan gods fall from their pedestals. Perhaps such a statue has fallen from the pillar to the left of the Holy Family (such a scene can also be seen in the fresco in the Church of St. Joseph). It might also be a whirlwind – a calamity from which the Holy Family is protected by the angel sitting on the pillar and holding an umbrella (difficult to recognize). Thus, even the weak prove strong when acting with God.

Mary holding baby Jesus sits on a donkey led by St. Joseph, who, bent and weary, also struggles to move forward. They cross a wooden bridge, which also seems weak, with a visible gap between its planks, yet nothing can hinder their journey. Above the main figures is the inverted inscription: “Dextera tua, Domine, magnificata est in fortitudine” – “Thy right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power” (Exodus 15:6). This is a fragment of the song of thanksgiving sung by Moses and the Israelites after crossing the Red Sea.

On the sides, further scenes show that weakness can thus overcome powers. On the northern side, St. Bernard, holding the host in his hand, compels Duke William of Aquitaine, who had been excommunicated, to submit. The duke had surrounded the abbey of Citeaux with armed forces during mass, trying to force the abbot to change his decision. At the sight of the Blessed Sacrament, he fell on his face, threw down his weapons, and the other soldiers did the same. The inscription under Bernard is from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 6:8): Plenus gratia et fortitudine – Full of grace and power. Although it refers to St. Stephen, he, like Bernard, performed great wonders and signs among the people. To the left, above the head of the abbot of Citeaux, on the pilaster of the church, you can see the figure of a cherub from the facade of the Krzeszów temple.

The southern side of the bay Fortis depicts the troops of the Second Crusade attacking a Muslim detachment. Among the crusaders, St. Bernard can be recognized. He is the figure with an uncovered head, under a red banner, in a white habit, with a cross on his chest. He was the one who persuaded the knights of Western Europe to undertake this crusade in 1147. The accompanying inscription: Requievit super eos spiritus consilii et fortitudinis is a fragment from Isaiah 11:2: “The spirit of counsel and might shall rest upon them.”

Most of the wall paintings inside the basilica in Krzeszów are the work of Georg Wilhelm Neunhertz, who created a colossal cycle of frescoes over 2.5 years – the greatest work of his life.

From preserved documents, it appears that only two people worked with him on this: Andrew Maywald from Kłodzko and Johann Hausdorf. However, it seems that at least one more painter must have assisted him: Johann Franz Hoffmann, especially in the illusionistic architecture. Even this was likely not enough, considering the immense scope of the work and the relatively short time of its execution – only two years.

Witold Papierniak, “Krzeszów – Church of Our Lady of Grace”, 2004