Prague, The Crown of Bohemia, 1347-1437

Tuesday, 11 October 2005 10:36

NEW YORK.-Crowned King of Bohemia in 1347, Charles IV (1316-1378) sought to make his capital city – Prague – the cultural rival of Paris and Rome. The remarkable flowering of art that transformed the city into Bohemia's Gothic jewel will be celebrated at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in the exhibition Prague, The Crown of Bohemia, 1347-1437 – a landmark presentation of some 160 stunning examples of panel paintings, goldsmiths' work, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, silk embroideries, stained glass, and more. These little-known masterpieces attest to the wide-ranging achievements of the hundreds of artists affiliated with Prague and the Bohemian crown during the reign of Charles IV and his two sons, Wenceslas IV (1361-1419) and Sigismund (1368-1437). The exhibition draws on numerous collections in the Czech Republic as well as other European and American collections, and will include many works that have never been publicly shown. "Under the patronage of Charles IV and his sons, artists and artisans in Prague created works of great beauty and refinement that matched or surpassed in quality the luxury goods being produced elsewhere in Europe. Yet today, these masterpieces from Prague are not well-known," commented Philippe de Montebello, Director of the Metropolitan Museum. "By bringing together many of the most outstanding examples of Bohemian art of the 14th and 15th century, the exhibition will shed new light on the art and culture of this imperial city." As the son of the king of Bohemia and the grandson of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV was well-educated, well-traveled, and – through bonds of kinship – well-connected with many of the courts of Europe. He ascended to the throne of Bohemia in 1347 after the death of his father. Determined to transform Prague into a suitable center of power, he built churches and bridges, founded a university, and brought in artists from across Europe. These projects redoubled when Charles was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1355, and – despite political and religious turmoil – were carried forward by his sons Wenceslas IV (his successor as King of Bohemia) and Sigismund (who ruled as King of Hungary, Holy Roman Emperor, and also – after the death of Wenceslas – King of Bohemia). Works on View - >From the laying of the foundation stone for St. Vitus Cathedral in 1344, three years before Charles became king, he took great interest in the project and significantly expanded the original plan. One of the great cathedrals of Europe, St. Vitus was built to serve many functions: it was the spiritual center of Prague and the kingdom of Bohemia, the coronation church and the final resting place of kings and queens, and the repository of the crown jewels of Bohemia. Because of strictly limited access to the cathedral's treasury since World War II, the works on loan to the exhibition are virtually unknown. Of particular interest are the Ara Coeli Virgin, an icon that Charles brought to Prague after he visited Pope Urban V in Rome, a gem-encrusted rock crystal ewer reliquary for a fragment of the tablecloth from the Last Supper, and a gilded silver tabernacle – a superbly detailed miniature Gothic cathedral – that is associated with the Parler family, the cathedral's architects (Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague). Renowned across Central Europe, the same family of master builders also oversaw the construction of Cologne Cathedral, from which two sculptures attributable to the Parlers will be shown.

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