XIX a. koplytėlės su Viešpaties kančios kelio skulptūromis Žemaičių vyskupijoje

LTXIX a. pasižymėjo ypatingu Kristaus kančios kelio pamaldumu – greta steigiamų kalvarijų, 14 stočių Kryžiaus kelių, įrengiamų bažnyčiose ir jų šventoriuose, plito ir kitos jo raiškos formos. Straipsnio objektas – XIX a. Žemaičių vyskupijoje statytos koplytėlės su jose įkomponuotais skulptūriniais Kristaus kančios kelio ciklais. Remiantis ikonografiniais šaltiniais ir literatūroje aptiktais duomenimis, lyginamos Viekšnių, Sedos Šv. Jono Nepomuko, Šakynos bažnyčių šventorių koplytėlės, nagrinėjama jų architektūrinė raiška, tiriamas jose buvusių skulptūrinių ciklų naratyvas ir ikonografija. Siekiama nustatyti šių koplytėlių ir jose įkomponuotų atvaizdų kilmę ir paskirtį, atsakyti į klausimą, ar jos buvo pavienės ir tarpusavyje nesusijusios, ar sudarė atskirą Kristaus kančios kelio pamaldumo apraišką. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Aloyzas Gendvilas; Ikonografija; Juozas Šauleckas; Koplytėlės su Kristaus kančios kelio skulptūromis; Kristaus kančios kelio skulptūros; Liaudies skulptūra; Sedos koplytėlė; Viekšnių koplytėlė; Šakynos koplytėlė; Žemaitijos vyskupija; Aloyzas Gendvilas; Branch chapel; Folk sculpture; Iconography; Juozas Šauleckas; Samogitian diocese; Sculptures of the Way of the Passion of Christ; Seda Chapel; Shrines with sculptures of Station of Passion of Christ; Viekšniai Chapel.

ENThe 19th century stood out for a particular devotion to the stations of the Passion of Christ when besides emerging Calvaries with 14 Stations of the Cross built both in churches and churchyards, other forms of expression also spread. Shrines of the stations of the Passion of Christ were constructed in churchyards, in the northern part of the Samogitian Diocese. The origin of the shrines has not been thoroughly researched; however, it is possible to assume that these monuments depicting eight stations were intended for specific form of devotion observable throughout the 19th century, even when the 14 Stations of the Cross became widespread and established. Various rites devoted for the contemplation of the sufferings of Christ – especially the observances on the Sorrows of Christ during the Lent period such as bitter lamentations or the Liturgy of the Easter Triduum – might have served as a source of inspiration for such artworks. The earliest data on such shrines with the stations of the Passion of Christ was captured in the photograph of the shrine in the Viekšniai churchyard in 1833. During the second half of the 19th century, similar shrines were built near the Šakyna Church (in 1873) and the Church of St. John of Nepomuk in Seda. Only the Šakyna shrine has survived to present day but it was modified and rebuilt in 1930. All three shrines containing features of vernacular Classicism were constructed according to a single model, i.e. they consisted of a rectangular pillar with a box-like shrine comprised of a fairly large square upper part and a triangular pediment.The purpose of these artworks has slightly altered the form of a traditional vernacular and pillared shrines: it has modified their proportions and shaped a unique building type of small-scale architecture. The upper part was increased in order to include exposition area for 8 sculptural compositions. The stations had to be isolated from one another; thus vertical and horizontal separations were introduced. The shrine was elevated on a low pillar so that believers could see the sculptural compositions of the Passion of Christ right before their eyes and by gazing up could follow and experience the most significant evangelical moments of the Sorrows of the Lord – from the prayers of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and His arrest to the deposition of Christ. Such shrines of unique proportions and structure contribute to the typologization of the 19th century Lithuanian small-scale vernacular architecture. In the region of Samogitia, which has always been famous for its God-carving traditions, only very few carved sculptural cycles have survived; therefore, the eight station compositions of the Passion of Christ are very rare and of exceptional value. The sculptural groups of the Passion of Christ made by an unknown craftsman have partially survived in the Seda’s shrine and are highly artistic, whereas the compositions carved out by Juozas Šauleckas give the air of primitive sincerity. Having reconstructed the Šakyna shrine and made the replicas of the former sculptures, the latter craftsman managed to preserve the iconographic and artistic structure of the sculptural stations of the Passion of Christ. It is possible to assume that the shrines depicting sculptural stations of the Passion of Christ and erected in churchyards, in the 19th century, constituted to one more local and gradually neglected manifestation of devotion to the Little Way of the Cross. [From the publication]