The Figure of God the Father in Falenty

The Figure of God the Father in Falenty is a Baroque sculpture that originally adorned the top of the facade of the Brigidine Church in Warsaw and now stands on the battlefield of Raszyn. The sculpture was created in the workshop of Stephan Schwaner, who worked between 1682 and 1692 at the palace of John III Sobieski in Wilanów. Its authorship is attributed to an unknown collaborator of Schwaner. The figure is sometimes mistakenly dated to the late 18th century, which causes confusion regarding its style. Originally, it was located on the left side of the facade of the Holy Trinity Church, accompanied by a figure of the Immaculata placed symmetrically on the right side. After the dissolution of the Brigidine convent in 1807 and the adaptation of the church into barracks and artillery workshops, the sculpture was removed from the facade. In 1828, on the occasion of the 19th anniversary of the Battle of Raszyn, Father Antoni Zieleniewski funded brick pedestals at symbolic locations of the battle, on which Baroque sculptures were placed, including the Figure of God the Father, transforming it into part of an educational tourist trail related to the history of the site. The proportions of the figure are described as squat and deliberately distorted, which is related to its original placement at a great height, intended to adjust its form for viewing from below. The sculpture bears traces of iron hooks that were used to secure it to the church roof. The head of the figure is modeled after the ancient bust of Zeus from Otricoli from the 3rd century BCE. The Figure of God the Father is one of the few relics of the Baroque Brigidine Church in Warsaw, making it one of the most valued monuments of the Masovian region.