Jan Styka's oeuvre Jan Styka, born 8 April 1858 in Lviv, an outstanding historical, religious and battle painter, won international recognition for his monumental panoramic works. His work was deeply rooted in the Polish national and religious tradition, which had its roots in his patriotic upbringing and the artistic influences that shaped his aesthetics and technique.

Styka studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna , where he won the Prix de Rome and had the opportunity to further his interest in sacred and historical art. In Rome he came into contact with Henryk Siemiradzki, a well-known painter of monumental religious and historical compositions. The meeting with this artist was crucial to Styka's development, who, inspired by Siemiradzki's epic visions, began to develop his unique approach to panoramic painting.

On his return to Poland, Styka came under the tutelage of Jan Matejko , an outstanding Polish history painter, who influenced Styka's artistic approach to depicting major national events. For Styka, working under Matejko's tutelage was not only a lesson in painting techniques, but also in how creativity can become a carrier of patriotic values and communal national identity. Already in the 1880s, Styka began to gain recognition for his religious works, such as " Our Lady of Sorrows " or " Christ Proud over Jerusalem ".

In 1892, after a short period of working in Paris, Styka returned to Poland and together with Wojciech Kossak undertook the monumental task of creating " Panorama Racławicka ", depicting the Battle of Racławice in 1794. This work, painted on a grand scale, turned out not only to be an artistic success, but also a commercial one, which encouraged Styka to create more panoramic paintings.

Apart from historical painting, Styka also developed religious themes, which were to become one of the most important axes of his work. In the mid 1890s, the idea of creating the largest religious panoramic painting was born in him, which was to gain realisation in his most important work - " Golgotha ". Before Jan Styka embarked on the creation of his monumental work, " Golgotha ", he decided to travel to the Holy Land to see with his own eyes the places which formed the background for the most important events in the history of Christianity. This trip became a source of deep inspiration, which significantly influenced the artistic shape of the painting.

In March 1895, Styka set off from Lviv to reach Jerusalem after a few days. As he wrote in his memoirs: " I wished to see those landscapes which are the background for the figures of the prophets and the Gospels, and at the same time those holy places which, for the Christian soul, are a source of grace and emotion ". This three-month journey allowed the painter to penetrate the atmosphere of the biblical places, which brought him not only spiritual impressions, but also material for numerous sketches and field studies, which later served for the work on the painting.

The Holy Land , where Styka spent Holy Week, was not only a religious pilgrimage for him, but also an important preparatory stage for the realisation of 'Golgotha'. He studied the Easter ceremonies, including the spectacular ritual of the descent of the Holy Fire, which provided him with an unforgettable artistic experience. Observing hundreds of torches illuminating the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, Styka recorded in his diaries: " These were scenes of incomparable originality. [...] Those faces of the fanatics illuminated by the fire, which seemed to consume them, was something that could not be seen anywhere else ".

This expedition was not only an iconographic inspiration; it also had a profound spiritual significance. In his memoirs, Styka describes how, while in the places associated with the Passion of Christ, he felt he had to understand anew this dramatic moment in human history and transfer it to canvas in a way that would convey both the greatness of the suffering and the hope of the Resurrection.

The sketches and notes prepared during this journey were used by Styka to develop the concept for the painting 'Golgotha', which, although often titled 'Crucifixion', does not depict the act of crucifixion itself, but the moment just before it - the moment when Jesus, in white robes, stands among the crowds, looking up at the sky, ready to accept his fate.

On his return from the Holy Land, full of inspiration, Jan Styka began to realise his monumental work, 'Golgotha'. The place where he worked on the painting also had a symbolic significance. As the rotunda in Lviv, where 'Panorama Racławicka' had previously been exhibited, stood empty, there was a perfect opportunity to start a new project. However, Styk and his collaborators faced a huge challenge - both artistically and financially.

To work on 'Golgotha' Styka engaged a team of experienced painters, including Tadeusz Popiel , Jan Stanisławski and Zygmunt Rozwadowski . Together, in less than a year and a half, they created a painting with impressive dimensions of 60 metres long and 15 metres high. To cope with the demands of such a large undertaking, special canvas was imported from Belgium, and painting was carried out using advanced panoramic techniques.

The painting 'Golgotha ' , although formally titled 'Crucifixion', actually depicts the scene just before the crucifixion itself - the moment when Christ, dressed in white robes, stands surrounded by crowds, prepared for his martyrdom. This unusual depiction, which differs from traditional representations of the crucifixion, was intended to convey the spiritual dimension of the moment. Christ , although surrounded by the attributes of suffering - the crown of thorns, cross, red robe and 'sceptre' - is not yet nailed to the cross. Instead, his figure radiates peace and readiness for what is to come.

In the centre of the painting, apart from the figure of Jesus, are the other key characters in the scene. On one side of the painting are Roman soldiers and executioners, ready to carry out the sentence, while on the opposite side are gathered the saints and apostles - Our Lady, St John and Mary Magdalene. The background is a precisely recreated panorama of Jerusalem with its walls and temple, capturing the spirit of the time of Christ.

When working on the painting, Styka took care of every detail, basing his work on notes and sketches made during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It was there, in Jerusalem, that he absorbed the atmosphere of the places he later depicted so accurately on canvas. The high level of realism and the detail of the figures, buildings and landscapes depicted make the painting evoke strong emotions in the viewer, transporting him or her directly into the middle of the Good Friday drama.

The work on 'Golgotha ' was extremely intense and exhausting. Finally, the painting was completed on 8 July 1896, and its premiere took place in Lviv during the Catholic Convention. The event attracted more than 50,000 spectators who had the opportunity to see Styka's monumental work. The painting immediately caused a great stir and acclaim, both among critics and ordinary viewers.

The next stages of the painting's life were a series of exhibitions, as well as the logistical challenges of transporting and financing it. As early as January 1897, 'Golgotha' was transported to Warsaw, where a special rotunda was built for its presentation. Ignacy Paderewski , who invested in this project, believing it to be an artistic success, played a key role in this financial undertaking.

Following its success in Lviv and Warsaw, the 'Golgotha' painting embarked on an international journey. The next stops were Moscow and Kyiv , where the painting also enjoyed great public interest. However, Styka and his collaborators needed funds to further promote the work. Therefore, it was decided to take the 'Golgotha' to the World Exhibition in St. Louis in the United States in 1904.

The voyage to America was intended as a chance to give even greater recognition to Jan Styka's work. However, these plans soon ran into serious problems. The organisers of the exhibition in St. Louis were unable to provide a suitable venue for the presentation of such a huge canvas. The lack of a suitable building and logistical difficulties led to the 'Golgotha' never being exhibited at this prestigious event.

In the meantime, Styka, hoping to recoup some of the money invested in this ambitious project, decided to exhibit his other works at the St Louis show. These included paintings depicting scenes from 'Quo Vadis' by Henryk Sienkiewicz, but the fate of these works also proved tragic. They were completely destroyed in a fire that broke out in the warehouse after the exhibition had already closed. The loss of these paintings was a great blow to the artist - not only financially, but also emotionally.

Even more dramatic was the fate of 'Golgotha' itself. After the unsuccessful attempt to exhibit the painting ended, the painting was deposited in a warehouse in New York. There, due to customs and financial problems, the painting lay forgotten for many years, and Styka never saw it again. Left unattended, the painting went to auction and was sold for a very low price.

Fortunately, in the 1940s, the painting's fate changed. In 1944, the painting was discovered by Dr Hubert Eaton , an American millionaire, art lover and founder of the famous Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Moved by the fate of 'Golgotha', Eaton decided to restore this monumental work and find a worthy place for it in his memorial park. This was not only an investment in art, but also a spiritual gesture - Eaton believed that 'Golgotha' should be shown to the world as a masterpiece of religious art.

Restoring the painting was no easy task. Through years of inappropriate storage, the canvas had been badly damaged. However, thanks to the efforts, including the help of Jan Styka's son Adam , who was also a painter, the painting was restored and restored to its former glory. In 1951, on Good Friday , the painting was ceremonially unveiled in a purpose-built building - the Hall of Crucifixion-Resurrection in Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

"Golgotha" has become a key feature of this unique venue, and its presentation is not just about looking at the painting. Each presentation is a kind of multimedia spectacle. The audience views the painting with special light and sound effects, while a narrator tells the story of Christ's crucifixion, highlighting the painting details and the spiritual message of the work. The entire atmosphere was created to evoke strong emotions in the audience and deepen their spiritual experience.

Despite its dramatic fate, Jan Styka's 'Golgotha' has found its place and recognition in the United States. It became one of the most important monuments of religious art in America, visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. In 1976, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla , later Pope John Paul II, after seeing "Golgotha", wrote words of appreciation and spiritual emotion into the memorial book, which further strengthened the work's position in the world.

The painting 'Golgotha', considered to be the largest religious painting in the world, became not only a symbol of Christ's passion, but also a testimony to Styka's unique approach to depicting Christological scenes. His vision was unique - instead of the traditional crucifixion scene, Styka chose to capture the moment before the execution, showing Christ in an act of inner contemplation and spiritual strength. This originality and mystical atmosphere set 'Golgotha' apart from other works of similar subject matter.

The details of this work, such as the shining whiteness of Christ's robes, symbolising innocence and divine glory, and the concentration on the very moment preceding the Passion, give the work an almost theatrical dimension. The scene, enriched by numerous figures - from Roman soldiers to the disciples and the crowd of Jerusalem residents - creates an epic image of a grand narrative. The symbolism of this scene and its realism attract both believers and art lovers to this day.

Jan Styka continued to paint, drawing inspiration from historical, religious and literary themes. One of his most important projects during this period was the monumental 'Panorama Racławicka', which he executed in collaboration with Wojciech Kossak. "Panorama Racławicka" of 1894 was a great success and brought Styka international fame.

In his later years, the artist moved to Paris, where his work continued to receive acclaim. His paintings were exhibited in various European countries and Styka received numerous awards and decorations, including the Order of the Legion of Honour. In France, the artist focused on painting paintings on Christian themes, including those inspired by Henryk Sienkiewicz's work 'Quo Vadis'. He created numerous illustrations for this famous work, which became part of the luxury editions of the novel published in France.

Illustrating 'Quo Vadis' opened the way for Styka to realise other great projects. In 1900, his painting 'The Martyrdom of Christians in Nero's Circus' was exhibited at a world exhibition in Paris, winning a huge success. This work, like 'Golgotha', was panoramic and showed dramatic scenes from the lives of the early Christians. Styka, inspired by Sienkiewicz's work, continued to paint scenes from the history of Christianity, creating further large-format works.

Another important project from this period was illustrating Homer's 'Odyssey'. This work, which he worked on for several years, brought him recognition in France and allowed his international career to continue. His Homeric cycle paintings became part of exhibitions around the world.

After the end of the First World War, Jan Styka settled on the Italian island of Capri, where he created a small museum in his villa 'Certosella', displaying his most important works, including those inspired by 'Quo Vadis'. Villa Certosella became a place visited by many famous people, including Polish patriots, as well as foreigners interested in the painter's work.

Styka, despite the passing years, did not stop painting. Until the last moments of his life, he worked on the painting "Quo vadis Domine?", intended for the famous church on the via Appia in Rome. In 1925, just a few days before his death, the artist transported his last works to the Vatican, where they were consecrated by the Pope. This event was a huge spiritual experience for Styka.

He died on 28 April 1925 in Rome and was initially buried there in the Verano Cemetery. His life and work left a lasting mark on European art at the turn of the 20th century.

Styka not only left his mark on religious art, but also on battle art, collaborating on monumental panoramas such as the famous 'Panorama Racławicka'. Contemporary art draws on his ability to combine realism with symbolism and grand narrative. Many artists today draw inspiration from his epic style, in which detail, expression and spiritual message play a key role. In Poland, Styka, although somewhat forgotten, remains one of the key figures in 19th century painting, and his works are exhibited in major museums such as the National Museum in Wrocław and the National Museum in Warsaw.

While his other works, such as 'The Martyrdom of the Christians in Nero's Circus' and 'Polonia', were also once notorious, 'Golgotha' is a work that has stood the test of time and continues to excite with its monumentality, spiritual depth and artistic craftsmanship. Although Styka's fame gradually faded after his death, thanks to the exhibition of 'Golgotha' in the United States, his work is still alive. At Forest Lawn Memorial Park, his 'Golgotha' is exhibited in a purpose-built building, and its presentation with light and sound effects draws crowds of spectators.