Consiliarius – advisor or ruler

The central scene depicts the Nativity combined with the adoration of angels and shepherds (on the left) and women (on the right). This adoration of the Infant Jesus is separated from the side depictions by painted architectural elements. It gives the impression that it takes place at a higher level. This is the first example of illusionistic painting in this church.

However, a question arises: what does the title “Consiliarius” have to do with the Nativity? The answer becomes clear when looking at the side scene, in the northern part of the bay (to the right). It depicts the vision of St. Bernard. When he was still a small boy, on Christmas night, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him as a mother giving birth. Georg Wilhelm Neunhertz painted Mary in a mandorla (hence the golden or cream-yellow background), hovering above the sleeping Bernard, and visibly pregnant. This is accompanied by an inscription – a fragment of St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians (Gal 1:15): “Segregavit me ex utero, et vocavit me per gratiam suam” – “He who had set me apart before I was born and had called me through His grace.” St. Bernard had several similar visions. These visions decided his dedication to God’s service and the Cistercians’ development of the Nativity cult.

In the southern part, we see Bernard arriving with his 30 companions and being received by Abbot Stephen Harding in Citeaux. This event took place in 1112. It is said that young noblewomen from central France were greatly distressed at the time, fearing the monastery would take all the eligible bachelors. From that moment on, the order rapidly grew: new monasteries were founded, and by the time of Bernard’s death in 1153, there were already 350 across Europe. In the lower corner of this scene, near the pilaster and the gallery, there is another inscription: “Apparuit gratia Dei erudiens nos” – “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all” (Titus 2:11).

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