Admirabilis – admirable

The decoration of the first bay of the nave near the organ is the richest in details and symbols. The central scene depicts the revelation to Adam and Eve of Mary, chosen by God, who will redeem the sin they committed. The Immaculate, held by God the Father by the hand, wears a floral robe and has a crescent moon under her feet. On the sleeve of God’s right arm, one can barely see the monogram IHS – the sign of the Son of God, yet to be born and incarnated. This scene takes place in paradise.

The Holy Trinity is completed by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, which is now faintly visible. These figures are surrounded by a starry circle, and in its center, close to the heads of God and Mary, there is the greatest brightness, as if from a sun about to rise and shine. This corresponds to the vision of the apocalyptic woman clothed with the sun. This is also confirmed by the inscription above the starry circle, from the book of Ecclesiasticus: “Vas admirabile, opus excelsi.” The literal translation is: “wonderful vessel, work of the highest.”

To the left of God the Father, under the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve are depicted. Adam’s hand is shackled by the chains of sin, held by death – a skeleton standing behind him. The progenitor of mankind is trying to break these bonds, one hand already partially freed, turning his head towards Mary. Eve holds the forbidden fruit in both hands.

A serpent with bat wings and a woman’s face is coiled around the tree. Below our first parents are a lion and lioness, symbolizing the pair of first humans – from then on, man must be as strong as a lion to toil for his sustenance. Around the tree, other paradise animals can be seen, most easily recognizable among them are birds. On the left side, a large eagle appears to be fighting the serpent on the tree. The eagle fighting the serpent is known from mythology and ancient literature, and in Christianity, it became a symbol of Christ defeating Satan.

A little below it (here begins the side scene concerning the Cistercians) on a pedestal or gate sit two smaller birds. The right one is a parrot, which can be interpreted as a symbol of loquacity. This indicates the dire consequences of Eve’s dialogue with the serpent. The left bird is harder to identify. Its gray or black silhouette might suggest a crow, raven, or rook. These birds caw, and in Latin, the word cras means tomorrow. Hence, in iconography, they are often symbols of Satan’s whisperings.

To the right of Mary, the star zone widens and passes through a wide and multicolored veil held by an angel. Further to the right, Justice (Justitia) with a sword and scales in hand, and Peace (Pax) with an olive branch, are seen embracing each other.

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