| Description/Remarks |
Image is a surreal depiction of a Polish folklore character containing multi-coloured and stippled black and white symbols, elements and characters.
Pan Twardowski was a sorcerer who entered a pact with the Devil by selling his soul in exchange for great knowledge and magical powers. He eventually met a tragic fate.
According to legend, Twardowski was a nobleman who lived in Krakow in the 16th century. With the Devil's help he quickly achieved wealth and fame and eventually became a courtier of King Sigismund Augustus, who sought consolation in magic and astrology after the death of his beloved wife, Barbara Radziwill. (He was said to have used a magic mirror to summoned the ghost of the late queen to comfort the grieving king)
When he sold his soul, Twardowski had tried to outwit the Devil by including a special clause in the contract, stating that the Devil could only take Twardowski's soul to Hell during his visit to Rome a place the sorcerer never intended to go.
But after years of evading his fate, Twardowski was eventually abducted by the Devil at an inn called "Rzym" the Polish name for Rome.
While being spirited away, Twardowski prayed to the Virgin Mary, who made the Devil drop his prey. Twardowski fell on the Moon where he lives to this day with his companion whom he turned into a spider. From time to time, he lowers the spider to Earth, on a thread, to bring back news. |
