Saint Matthias the Apostle

The saint stands in a slight contrapposto (weight on the right leg) facing the viewer. In his left hand, bent at the elbow, he holds an axe in front of him, while his right hand is slightly raised to the side.

He has a young face with distinct features, hair close to the head above a high forehead, with large curls falling to the shoulders.

The undergarment, with a predominance of vertical folds, reaches his bare feet and is girded with a sash tied into a bow. The outer cloak, with a collar, fastened at the neck with a button, covers the saint’s shoulders, hanging in gentle folds along the sides of the torso.

Baroque Stalls

The Baroque oak stalls from 1662–1665, created by Bavarian artists Franz Motsch and Josef Zeller, originate from St. Vincent’s Church in Wrocław, belonging to the Norbertine monastery. Their backs are adorned with bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the life of Saint Norbert of Xanten (1082–1134), the founder of the order in Prémontré near Laon, France.

The cycle of these depictions begins on the southeast side and features the coat of arms of Abbot Matthäus Paul, who brought the mentioned artists to Wrocław. Between the reliefs are figures of Apostles, Evangelists, and Church Fathers, topped with sculptures of angels with the instruments of the Passion of Christ.