Graeco opere w królewskim teatrze władzy Władysława Jagiełły. Wprowadzenie do badań

The Polish King Wladyslaw II Jagiello requested the creation of a set of Byzantine wall paintings, described by the historian Jan Dlugosz as graeco opere , pictura graeca or sculptura graeca . The paintings were located in places of particular political and religious significance for the Kingdom of Poland. Byzantine painting decoration was thoughtfully adapted to Gothic interiors. The scientific reflection on Jagiellonian polychromes, conducted for over 150 years, still does not give full clarity as to the reasons for this unique artistic synthesis. Given the current state of knowledge about the role of art in the Middle Ages, the concept of the King’s private predilection for Byzantine-Ruthenian painting, well established in the Polish medieval studies, is no longer convincing. The author of this paper believes that this issue calls for new questions and a fresh research perspective. The study analyses the paintings in question in the context of the backdrop of the King’s political theology and the importance of art in shaping the image of the monarch in the Late Middle Ages. On the basis of the latest historical research, the author presents King Wladyslaw II Jagiello primarily as an effective ruler and competent politician rather than an art enthusiast.