PRESS RELEASE
Gothic Art in Southwestern Bohemia: Images of Beauty and Salvation
March 27, 2014 – July 6, 2014
The National Gallery in Prague, Šternberk Palace, second floor
Authors: Michaela Ottová, Jan Royt in cooperation with Petr Jindra
Curator: Olga Kotková
Cooperation: The West Bohemian Gallery in Plzeň, The Institute of Art History,
Faculty of Arts, Charles University
The exhibition Gothic Art in Southwestern Bohemia: Images of Beauty and
Salvation presents late Gothic artworks previously shown in the West Bohemian Gallery
in Plzeň with remarkable success. The southwestern Bohemian artworks from the late
Middle Ages (15th – 16th centuries) were a sensation there – the display attracted the
highest number of visitors in the history of the West Bohemian Gallery (founded in
1953). The National Gallery is now showing a selection of artworks and sculptures from
the exhibition that demonstrates why these works attract such attention and are a
magnet for visitors.
The territory of southwestern Bohemia in the Jagiellonian period is linked with the
expansion of the estate of the influential aristocratic Švihovský of Rýzmberk family and
the growth of dominions of related families (such the barons of Rýzmberk and Dolany,
Rožmitál, Černín and Chudenice). The members of these families owned large dominions,
held the highest positions in the kingdom and were the wealthiest figures in the Kingdom
of Bohemia. Their tremendous political influence also grew owing to their skilful loan
policies – their major debtors included the two Jagiellonian kings, Vladislav (Vladislaus)
and Ludvík (Louis). Moreover, the king resided mostly in Hungary and actual power lay
with the highest aristocracy with the two above-mentioned families occupying a
privileged position. Their high social status was also reflected in their extensive
donations; they commissioned most of the artworks in southwestern Bohemia and their
involvement in the arts was the greatest in the Kingdom of Bohemia.
The exhibition thus presents artworks commissioned by these aristocratic families,
especially the Švihovskýs of Rýzmberk, works such as the Epitaph of Půta Švihovský
from 1504 or the surviving parts of the original altarpiece from the castle church in Rabí
from 1498. The other part of the exhibition presents artworks that owe their existence to
towns. The exhibition’s greatest discoveries include previously unknown reliefs from the
main altarpiece of the decanal church in Klatovy with motifs of Christ’s childhood. The
monumental carvings, of excellent artistic quality and in the style of the so-called Danube
school, were done after 1521 in Passau, Bavaria (Germany), where the Klatovy town
council commissioned it. Three sculptures – its central Virgin Mary with Christ Child has
become the face of this exhibition – were done for the main altarpiece in the town church
in Kašperské Hory. The country’s largest gold deposits were located in the vicinity of
Kašperské Hory, and the towns situated along the Gold Path were also becoming wealthy
from its mining and distribution.
The world of the carvers, painters and other craftsmen who produced artefacts is
reflected in the exhibition’s third part: The Phenomenon of Carving Workshops. The
unique side-by-side display of the Master of the Lamentation of Christ from Zvíkov and
the Master of the Lamentation of Christ from Žebrák dating from the first quarter of the
16th century (Lamentation of Christ from Zvíkov Castle, Lamentation of Christ from
Žebrák) allows us insight into how the carvers worked and how the artistic tradition grew
out of the sharing and conveying of stylistic forms. These two iconic late Gothic artworks
are being for the first time in the National Gallery in Prague thanks to the understanding
and support of their lenders (who provided their utmost assistance during the exhibition’s
preparation). The display of the two Lamentations further allows us to observe the
differences in approach of the Zvíkov and Žebrák Masters of the Lamentation of Christ,
both of them major Bohemian late Gothic artists.
The part of the exhibition’s name Images of Beauty and Salvation interconnects three
terms. “Images” refer to the general mediaeval term describing sculptures and paintings
as “imagines”. These images pointedly bring the experience of beauty to contemporary
man, while the original mediaeval viewer linked them with the hope of eternal
redemption or salvation.
The publishing house Arbor Vitae is preparing a volume to accompany the exhibition that
has been drafted by a team of experts from the Institute of Art History of the Faculty of
Arts, Charles University in Prague and elsewhere. The Education Department of the
National Gallery in Prague has also organised an extensive program of lectures and
guided tours by the exhibition’s authors.
PHOTOS:
1. Master of the Epitaph of Půta Švihovský (Šimon Láb?), Epitaph of Půta Švihovský, Prague (?), c. 1504
(Prague, the National Museum)
2. Master of the Altötting Door / Mathias Kreniss (?) – follower, Circumcision of Christ, Passau, after 1521 (The
National Heritage Institute in České Budějovice)
3. Master of the Altarpiece of Our Lady Guardian in Kašperské Hory, the so-called Smaller Ark from Kašperské
Hory, Upper Austria / southwestern Bohemia, after 1495 (The Diocese of České Budějovice, on long-term loan
to the Šumava Museum in Kašperské Hory)
4. Master of the Lamentation of Christ from Zvíkov, the so-called Greater Ark from Kašperské Hory,
Horažďovice (?), c. 1510–1520 (Kašperské Hory, the Šumava Museum and the National Gallery in Prague)
5. Master of the Lamentation of Christ from Zvíkov, Lamentation of Christ from Zvíkov, Horažďovice (?), after
1508 (The National Heritage Institute in České Budějovice)
Media partners:
Classic FM, ANOPRESS IT, Prague Events Calendar, Český rozhlas, Česká televize, Hospodářské noviny,
iHNED.cz
Technological partner:
SAMSUNG
Admission fee:
Full: 150 CZK
Discount: 80 CZK
Family: 200 CZK
School group: 20 CZK/student
Press release of March 27, 2014
Contact for journalists:
Eva Kolerusová, National Gallery in Prague spokesperson,
phone: 724 501 535, kolerusova@ngprague.cz