When Jan Matejko was commissioned in 1889 to oversee the restoration and decoration of St. Mary's Basilica in Kraków, he produced a remarkable series of painted designs, or kartons, for the church’s polychrome interior—among them, the enigmatic Karton do polichromii Kościoła Mariackiego - Diabeł z głową ptaka. This project marked one of the last major undertakings of Matejko’s career, uniting his lifelong devotion to Polish history with a bold, imaginative vision for sacred space.

The artist’s designs were not just decorative plans; they became a source of fascination and debate, as some parishioners questioned the inclusion of such fantastical and unsettling figures within a holy setting. The scene presents a devil with the head of a bird, an image drawn from medieval iconography and the vivid traditions of church mural painting. In Christian art, devils often bear animal traits to signify their corruption and distance from the divine; here, the bird-headed demon crouches, claws extended, its beak agape in a silent shriek. The creature’s contorted posture and glaring eyes warn of spiritual peril, serving as a visual reminder of evil’s constant presence in the world.

Matejko’s choice to depict the devil at this precise, menacing moment echoes the grotesque figures found in Gothic cathedrals, such as the gargoyles of Notre-Dame, which similarly blend warning with wonder. As a working design, the Karton was never intended for exhibition, but as a guide for artisans painting the church’s walls. While the original medium is uncertain, such works were typically executed in tempera or watercolor on sturdy paper or cardboard. Today, several of Matejko’s polychrome designs survive in museum collections, valued both as artworks and as documents of the artist’s creative process.

The Diabeł z głową ptaka stands as a testament to Matejko’s inventive spirit in his final years, bridging Poland’s medieval heritage with the expressive possibilities of late 19th-century religious art.