Portraits
These are the portraits of individuals who used to live in Podlasie region – bishops, nobles and founders of nearby churches – the ones who determined in the XVIIIth and XIXth century the artistic and spiritual aspect of life in this area.
Old books
This room comprises an interesting collection of old prints, missals, hand-written prayer books of the XVIIIth century and documents from the Vatican and royal chanceries made on parchment (XVI- XXc.).
The Bible in Baroque painting
In this room we show how the Bible, the book of divine inspiration became in the course of time also an inspiration for artists. The mixture of colours and shades allows discovering the charm and secrets of the historic ecclesial art.
Treasury
In this room we present handicraft works of XVI-XXc. – silver – and gold-plated altar vessels, shrines, monstrances, commemorative medals, coins, seal matrixes.
The passing of life in Church art
Coffin portraits, “Danse macabre” paintings, „Angel leading the soul to heaven” – these are the examples how 200, 300 years ago the ecclesiastic art reflected the contemplation of the passage of life and tried to convey the basic truths of the faith concerning the Last Things.
Silence of prayer in art
A warm light and various shades of colours – it is the way that historic ecclesiastic painters presented the solemnity of prayer and silence encouraging contemplation.
Uniate Church art
Icons , candlesticks, embroidered mantle, prayers in Old Slavic language, all that has survived until today from numerous to the end of the 19th century in the Podlasie Greek Catholic Church is also proof that in these areas East was interestingly connected with the West.
Gothic art
The XVth century panel painting: the beautiful Madonna, a sculpture from the times of battle of Grunwald in 1410. Today it is the only trace of a gothic decoration of Podlasie churches.
The artistic assistant of saints
Paintings and sculptures of the XVIth –XIXth century collected in this room present the figures of saints, the Fathers of the Church, early Christian martyrs.
Historic altar vestments
Altar vestments of the XVIth and XVIIIth century – surplices, chasubles, covers, stoles, maniples from various churches within Siedlce diocese constitute today an interesting collection of garments in beautiful colours, with exquisite decorations, handmade, embroidered with gold, silver and silk threads.
