Allegorical Sculpture „Hope”

The female figure, standing with slender body proportions and the left leg extended forward, is dressed in an outer gown, a short tunic with a neckline and rolled-up sleeves, and a long, fairly narrow undergown. She is covered with a cloak draped over her right shoulder and arm and tied on the left side. The woman’s head is turned to the left, with delicate facial features. Her hair is styled in a braided updo, with strands falling onto her neck.

The woman supports the shaft of an anchor placed before her at her feet with her right hand. With her uncovered left hand, she holds the folds of the cloak. Her feet are bare in sandals. The figure is mounted on a circular, slightly convex base. The sculpture originally stood as the eighth on the right side from the entrance to the baptismal font, by the pilaster of the enclosure. It is currently positioned freely.

The baptismal font was funded by the Council of St. Mary’s Church and made in the Netherlands between 1554–56. It was transported by ship to Gdańsk in 1557. In 1943–44, it was evacuated to the village of Żuławki near Gdańsk. In the post–war years, the sculptures were secured and stored in the National Museum in Warsaw. They returned to St. Mary’s Basilica in 1981.