Cirillo dell’Antonio and the Woodcarving School in Cieplice
27 October 2026 – 21 February 2027
Fot. A. Podstawka
Curator of the exhibition: Barbara Andruszkiewicz
The School of Woodcarving was established in Cieplice in 1902 to educate artists and craftsmen working with wood, in order to counteract the demise of wood crafts brought on by the popularity of mass produced industrial goods of poor quality (particularly devotional objects), often cast in plaster and moulded from a variety of artificial materials.
In 1903 the school employed Cirillo dell’Antonio (1876–1971), a sculptor originating from the Italian Sud Tirol, who became its director in the period 1922–1940. His work contributed to the development of the school and its fame throughout Germany, also thanks to reviving the then forgotten tradition of crafting wooden Nativity scenes (Italian presepe). The artist taught several generations of sculptors, including many artists active for many years after the end of the Second World War.
Traces of the flourishing activity of teachers and pupils of the Cieplice school can still be found in many locations of the historic area of Silesia (and beyond), mainly in the form of church furnishings, as well as portraits, tombstones, small sculptures and items of artistic crafts.