Musical Angels in the Churches at Srednja vas near Šenčur and at Gosteče

Abstract

Several ornamental angels holding instruments have survived from the end of the 17*h century and the beginning of the 18th century on the ceilings of two churches in Upper Carniola. They are St. Catherine's in Srednja vas near Šenčur and the church at Gosteče. The ornamentation of the painted wooden ceilings in Slovenia has been studied until today by Fr. Kos who has made several studies in this field of the history of art. The present article draws attention in this connection to a new problem, namely to the angels with instruments which are presented in the above mentioned churches. In the church in Srednja vas the angels are painted with the following instruments: bagpipes, violin (four times), trumpet and lute. In the church at Gosteče there are more than thirty angels who are holding trumpets which are a typical decorative element, whereas in the case of the angels round the central cross one has a lute and one a cello and two have a violin each. The instruments on the ceilings of both churches are interesting above all as they are a late reflexion of the iconographie motive which was very characteristic for some Slovene provinces and the neighbouring countries in the 15th century. In Italy for instance the iconographie motive of the angels with instruments never ceased to appear, whereas in Slovenia it ceased to exist with the end of medieval art only to revive in the baroque era. The churches in Srednja vas and at Gosteče which are also examples of typical folk art represent a bridge towards the development of high baroque art in Slovenia. For this reason, although we do not know the names of the artists concerned, these paintings ought not to be neglected.