Franciszek Ledóchowski - A Biblical Judge

Weronika Daniluk

Franciszek Ledóchowski uses a variety of media in his work - film, photography and graphics. He practices a range of styles - from pop art, through abstraction to surrealism. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Graphics at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.

The below image comes from a series referring to quotations from the Old Testament. Ehud is the biblical judge who delivered part of Israel from the rule of a foreign ruler, the king of Moab. A quote from the Book of Judges is on the reverse of Franciszek Ledóchowski's painting:

"And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. And Ehud putforth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade"

Księga Sędziów, 3, 20-22

The artist is interested in the social function of religion. He processes biblical themes, interpreting them anew. Although the title suggests a figurative representation, the composition itself is abstract, which makes the painting elude easy classifications. The performance is very expressive, which brings to mind the dramatic moment of driving a dagger into the enemy's body.

For centuries, biblical scenes have been among the most popular and highly valued. Historical painting, understood as presenting historical or fictional events (biblical or mythological) on a large format and with a large number of silhouettes, was considered to convey the most universal message for the viewer, and requiring the highest mastery on the part of the artist. Only the nineteenth century, and above all the twentieth century, broke with this paradigm. People became interested in non-figurative painting, and then they turned to non-representational art. Nowadays, religious themes appear rarely in the works of young artists, which makes the picture presented by us stand out.