Pirates and The Last Judgement by H. Memling
"The Last Judgement" by Hans Memling is one of the biggest treasures of the city of Gda艅sk! The painting was created in the second half of the 15th century. The original is located in the National Museum in Gda艅sk, while a copy can be seen in the St. Mary's Church in Gda艅sk.
How did the triptych end up in Gda艅sk? There's an amazing story associated with it!
A wealthy Italian banker commissioned the painting for his family chapel. During its transport to Italy, the ship was attacked by pirates... from Gda艅sk! More precisely, they were privateers, or sailors, fighting at sea on behalf of the king or city authorities. They attacked ships that their employer considered to be enemies.
The privateer ship called "Peter from Gda艅sk" under the command of the famous sea wolf Paul Beneke was ordered not to let any ships pass towards England. That's why "Peter from Gda艅sk" attacked the ship "Saint Thomas", and the privateers, despite being threatened with the wrath of the Pope himself, robbed the ship, including taking the valuable painting "The Last Judgement". When dividing the loot, they decided to donate it to St. Mary's Church in Gda艅sk.
However, this was not the last journey of the painting! During the Napoleonic wars, the valuable triptych was stolen and taken to the Louvre, but soon returned to Gda艅sk. Another journey awaited it during World War II: first it was taken to Germany, then by the Red Army to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. From there, in the mid-20th century, it first went to Warsaw and then finally back to Gda艅sk.
Find out more about the Baltic privateers here:
Pirate, corsair or privateer? Who were the privateers?
Who is a privateer? And how do privateers differ from pirates and corsairs? Discover the most famous privateers and their tales from the Polish Baltic coast! ...
PS. If you're keen to learn more about the legends of Gda艅sk "on the ground", we recommend the following walking route:
Easy
Visiting Gda艅sk with children - a walk with legends
Publish Date: 2023-01-19
Last Updated: 2023-02-20