{"id":4153,"date":"2023-03-28T23:23:48","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T21:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gaps.gda.pl\/?post_type=object&p=4153"},"modified":"2023-03-28T23:23:48","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T21:23:48","slug":"monument-to-john-paul-ii-2","status":"publish","type":"object","link":"https:\/\/gaps.gda.pl\/en\/obiekt\/monument-to-john-paul-ii-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Monument to John Paul II"},"content":{"rendered":"

Technique: <\/strong>granite sculpture<\/p>\n

Dimensions:<\/strong> 4.8 m (H), 20 t (weight)<\/p>\n

Object: <\/strong>The statue of John Paul II was designed by Mariusz Kulpa and executed by a team of stonemasons under the direction of Czes\u0142aw Gajda. The sculpture is made of red-and-black Finnish granite according to a plaster cast Kulpa created in his workshop. The curatorial committee chaired by Archbishop Tadeusz Goc\u0142owski chose this one out of the three designs proposed by the artist. Inspired by the words of the Gospel of Matthew, Kulpa tried to incorporate two extreme concepts in his design. The Pope\u2019s firmness, toughness and unyieldingness are symbolized by the material, granite \u2013 a stone rarely used in sculpture due to its hardness, resistance to scratches and abrasion, all of which make it difficult to process. The concept of the monument also includes depicting the Pope as the head of the Church, the main shepherd and the rock of faith, which is reflected in the monumental yet subtle portrayal of John Paul II. The sculpture depicts him facing north; the pope is shown in full figure, dressed in liturgical vestments with a mitre on his head (its ribbons fall on his back). The pope\u2019s right hand is placed over his heart, he holds a metal pastoral in his left hand. The robes are rendered in a schematic way, delicately outlined in granite so as not to disturb the monumental character of the sculpture. The hands and facial features of the Pope, though still simplified and idealized, are depicted in a more realistic manner; the Pope\u2019s face is serene, with a slightly marked smile. In portraying John Paul II, the artist relied on photographs and his own memories from 1987, intending to capture the Pope at that very moment of his life.<\/p>\n

Place:<\/strong> The statue of John Paul II is located in the Zaspa Rozstaje district. It is placed on the western side of the Divine Providence Church, near the main entrance to the upper church, where the famous mass took place during the pilgrimage of John Paul II to Poland in 1987. Witold Florkiewicz designed the landscaping around the monument. On the south side, two semi-circular clinker brick walls were placed behind the sculpture, closing the space around it. They feature quotations from the Gospel of Matthew in the form of bronze casts: \u201cThou art Peter (meaning rock), and upon this rock I will build my church…\u201d (Matthew 16:18). On the eastern wall there is a quotation in Polish with a schematic cast of a fish, the symbol of Jesus, while on the western wall the fragment of the Gospel is quoted in Latin, thus symbolically referring to the history of the Church. These words are the main inspiration and guiding idea for the form of the monument.<\/p>\n

Information about the author:<\/strong> Mariusz Kulpa (b. 1946 in Le\u017cajsk) is a sculptor, draughtsman, graphic artist, educator and academic lecturer. He studied at the Faculty of Sculpture of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, graduating from Prof. Hajdecki\u2019s studio in 1974. He received the title of professor in 2002. Kulpa has taken part in solo and group exhibitions in Poland and abroad. He has won many awards and distinctions at various art competitions. He designed seven monuments erected in urban spaces, including The Polish Nation\u2019s Gift to Nagasaki <\/em>(Japan, 1986), a replica of this sculpture in Gda\u0144sk (The Flower of Life and Peace Statue<\/em>), and the monument to King W\u0142adys\u0142aw Jagie\u0142\u0142o in Le\u017cajsk (1997). His works are held in private and museum collections. In 2012, Kulpa received the \u201cMeritorious for Polish Culture\u201d Decoration of Honour of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.<\/p>\n

Condition of the object: <\/strong>no remarks<\/p>\n

Owner\/guardian: <\/strong>Church of the Divine Providence in Zaspa \u2013 Archdiocese of Gda\u0144sk, Deanery Gda\u0144sk Przymorze Wielkie<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Author of the entry:<\/strong> Dorota Kucharczyk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Technique: granite sculpture Dimensions: 4.8 m (H), 20 t (weight) Object: The statue of John Paul II was designed by Mariusz Kulpa and executed by a team of stonemasons under the direction of Czes\u0142aw Gajda. The sculpture is made of red-and-black Finnish granite according to a plaster cast Kulpa created in his workshop. The curatorial […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"parent":0,"menu_order":118,"template":"","object_cats":[36,37],"districts":[145],"object_authors":[129],"class_list":["post-4153","object","type-object","status-publish","hentry","object_cat-a-sacred-object","object_cat-monument","obj_district-zaspa-2","object_author-dorota-kucharczyk-2"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaps.gda.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/objects\/4153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaps.gda.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/objects"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaps.gda.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/object"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaps.gda.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"object_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaps.gda.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/object_cats?post=4153"},{"taxonomy":"obj_district","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaps.gda.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/districts?post=4153"},{"taxonomy":"object_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaps.gda.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/object_authors?post=4153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}