Sculpture is one of arts, the objective of which is to obtain a given form from a shapeless solid.
Woodcarving is the art of sculpture in wood, one of the most vital line of sculpture, also quite frequently an artistic craft characteristic for folk art. The name of this discipline comes from the German Schnitzer – a sculptor, a curving knife.
This art was already known in the ancient times, and the period of its bloom was late Gothic, when beautiful polychrome figures of the Madonna, of the saints, reliefs, altars were created.
The next premium epoch of woodcarving was the Baroque, when crucifixes, pulpits, benches, altars with figures of the saints and stalls were created. Following the sacral architecture, in those times the gentry started to decorate stairs, front doors, panellings in their houses and order ornamented furniture and everyday life objects.
One of the most famous woodcarvers was Wit Stwosz, the creator of the altar in the St. Mary's Church in Cracov.
At the end of the 19th century when wood became again an interesting artistic material, people started to appreciate decorative values of woodcarving works. The best example here is Stanisław Witkiewicz – the creator of the Zakopane style.
Woodcarving techniques include among others:
- free carving, i.e. shallow cutting of the wood surface, used for presentation of human or animal shapes,
- compass carving, used for patters of circles, rosettes, stars,
- other techniques: shaving, stamping, notching, openwork, burning, piling, pinning.
The most frequent decorative elements used in woodcarving are geometrical, floral, zoomorphic motives as well as human shapes and scenes from everyday life.
The material used in woodcarving is mainly basswood, pear tree, alder, aspen, poplar, sometimes booxwood, but also oak, spruce, yew, ash, walnut, great maple, beech and hornbeam.
The basic tools are sculpting chisels struck with a tamper, woodcarving and engraving knives, and in the final stage files. Sculptures are sometimes covered with polychrome or partly gold. Woodcarvers sign their works with special signatures known as "fumblers".
