Czech Gothic architecture
Czech Gothic architecture refers to the
The
- Early Gothic – Přemyslid Gothic (13th and early 14th century)
- High Gothic – LuxembourgGothic (14th and early 15th century)
- Late Gothic – Jagiellonian Gothic (approximately 1471–1526)[2]
The most significant Gothic architects who worked in the Czech lands (especially in Bohemia) were Peter Parler and Benedikt Rejt.
Early Gothic
The Gothic style penetrated the Czech lands in the first half of the 13th century – in the time when the
In the 1240s last purely Romanesque churches were built (e. g. in
The Church of
The
The oldest Gothic building in Prague is the
In the new-founded rich
After the 1260s the influence of the Cistercian style diminished and the Czech architecture was then inspired by the French High Gothic architecture. In southern Bohemia there worked the royal builders employed by the King Ottokar II of Bohemia. In the Royal Town of Písek there they built some important buildings (Royal Castle, Písek Stone Bridge, parish church). They also built the Zvíkov Castle with a central court surrounded by arcades in two levels inspired by the cloister — typical element of the monastic architecture. The chapel of the castle was completed in 1270.[7]
Other important castles are the royal Bezděz Castle (with its beautiful chapel) and Křivoklát Castle, the bishop's Horšovský Týn Castle (its chapel has been preserved, other parts were later rebuilt). In Moravia there are the Špilberk Castle in Brno, Veveří Castle, Buchlov, Hukvaldy or others.[7]
The
The style of the Old New Synagogue resembles the Cistercian monasteries Zlatá Koruna (founded in 1263) and Vyšší Brod (founded in 1259). In Vyšší Brod very precious Early Gothic Chapter hall from 1285 has been preserved. These monasteries were then completed in the High Gothic style.[9]
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Convent of St. Agnes of Bohemiain Prague, 1230s–1270s
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Interior of St. Procopius Basilica in Třebíč from the 1240s and 1250s
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Osek Monastery, before 1240
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Old-New Synagogue in Prague, after 1270
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Zvíkov Castle in Bohemia, before 1270
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Písek Stone Bridge, 1263–1265[10]
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Chapel at Bezděz Castle, before 1283
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Chapter Hall of Vyšší Brod Abbey, 1285
High Gothic
Late Přemyslid Gothic
The High Gothic period in the Czech lands started during the reign of the King Wenceslaus II in the 1290s. In that time the Gothic style in the Czech lands changed. The new buildings started to emphasize the verticality and light very strongly.
In the Cistercian Sedlec Abbey near Kutná Hora, the first church in the style of French Gothic cathedrals in the Czech lands was built around 1300. It is called the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady and Saint John the Baptist and although it was rebuilt in the 18th century in the Baroque Gothic style its presbytery, main nave and transept didn't lose its original appearance. It is considered to be one of the first High Gothic buildings in the Czech Republic[9] and it was also inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.[11]
A very similar church was built in another Cistercian monastery in Zbraslav. In its time it was the biggest church in Bohemia – it was 104 meters long.[12] The Zbraslav Cathedral was destroyed during the Hussite Wars.
Luxembourg Gothic
The first king of the new
The
The reign of Charles IV and Wenceslaus IV
The heyday of the High Gothic art in the Czech lands came with John's son Charles IV. This young Bohemian Prince came to Bohemia in 1333 from France where he had been raised at the French royal court. Then he became as the first king of Bohemia the Holy Roman Emperor and so Prague became the imperial residence. The reign of Emperor Charles IV and his son King Wenceslaus IV is one of the very few periods of the Czech art when it was at the comparable level with the European development and even became the leading force in the development of European art.[14]
Charles IV was a very important supporter of art. He founded many new buildings, for example the most important High Gothic building in the Czech Republic – the
Another important building of Prague High Gothic architecture is Charles Bridge with its Old Town Bridge Tower built by Petr Parler and which is one of the largest and most beautiful Gothic gates in Europe.[14] [16]
Petr Parler also designed the new presbytery of St. Bartholomew Church in Kolín (Czech: Kostel sv. Bartoloměje). The work of Petr Parler later became a great inspiration for central-European Late Gothic architects.[17]
The most important Czech High Gothic castle is the
During the reign of Wenceslaus IV the Gothic style changed a bit into the so-called International Gothic which was characterized by replacing monumentality with elegance (therefore it is also known as the "Beautiful style"). Typical for the International Gothic architecture especially in Central Europe were the hall churches. The hall churches usually also had thin tall columns supporting the vault. Typical examples of International Gothic architecture in the Kingdom of Bohemia are the south-Bohemian churches of St Giles in Třeboň (Czech: Kostel sv. Jiljí) and of St Vitus in Soběslav (Czech: Kostel sv. Víta). The king himself ordered to rebuild the Italian Court in Kutná Hora and to build the Točník Castle.[17] Another important church was St Vitus Church in Český Krumlov built after 1407 as a hall church with a net vault in the main nave.
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Baroque drawing of the destroyed Cathedral of Zbraslav Monastery, c. 1300
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Church of Vyšší Brod Monastery, c. 1300
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Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Brno, after 1323
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Church in Roudnice nad Labem founded in 1333 by Prague Bishop Jan IV. z Dražic
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Karlstejn Castle, Bohemia, 1348–1357
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Stone Bell House in theOld Town of Prague, after 1310
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Charles Bridge in Prague after 1357
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Church of St. Bartholomew in Kolín with its high presbytery, 1360–1378
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Kašperk Castle, southwestern Bohemia, after 1356[18]
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Interior of St Vitus Church in Český Krumlov, after 1407
Late Gothic
The heyday of the High Gothic architecture in the Crown of Bohemia was stopped by the outbreak of the
Jagiellonian Gothic
The bad situation of the Czech art caused by wars and political instability was improved after 1471 when a Catholic Polish prince
While the Renaissance style flourished in Italy and Western Europe and Hungary were under its influence, the Czech art returned in its style to the legacy of the old Gothic masters. Bohemia was not the only country which did not accept the Renaissance art very early and tried to develop the older Gothic style into new forms – it was also the case of Austria, Bavaria, Saxony[20] or England (see Tudor architecture). Although they still used the Gothic style, they slowly started to mix it with some Renaissance elements.
The most important architect of the Czech Late Gothic style was Benedikt Rejt who worked for the King Vladislaus. He rebuilt Prague Castle in the Late Gothic style and also used some Early Renaissance elements. Rejt's masterpiece is the Vladislav Hall in the Old Royal Palace of Prague Castle which was completed in 1502, and was at its time the largest secular vaulted space (without inner supporting columns) at least in Central Europe.[21][22]
Benedikt Rejt completed the St. Barbara's Church in Kutná Hora in the Late Gothic style using a vault very similar to the vault of the Vladislav Hall. This church has a typical Late Gothic tent roof.
Together with Hans Spiess Benedikt Rejt built the Royal Oratory in St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle after 1490. The interesting vault of this oratory has naturalistically executed dry cut branches, tied with strong ropes at the top of arches, instead of usual ribs.
Another important Late Gothic architect was
In Brno Austrian architect Anton Pilgram was active where he designed the very interesting portal of the Old Town Hall.[24]
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Equestrian staircase of Prague Castle, around 1500
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Vladislav Hall at Prague Castle by Benedikt Rejt, around 1500
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Vault of St James Church in Prachatice, 1505–1513
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Portal of the Old Town Hall in Brno by Anton Pilgram, 1510–1511
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Vault in a house in Slavonice
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Royal Oratory in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, built by Benedikt Rejt and Hans Spiess, around 1500
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Vault of the Church of SS Peter and Paul in Mělník by Hans Spiess, 1490s
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Powder Tower in Prague by Matěj Rejsek, 1475–1484
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Tower of the Church of Our Lady before Týn in Prague with its original roof, before 1511
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Pernštejn Castle, Moravia, turn of the 15th and 16th century
See also
References
- ISBN 978-80-7422-090-6.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ ISBN 978-80-85970-74-6.
- ^ ISBN 80-85970-46-5.
- ^ "History". Klášter Teplá (in Czech). Archived from the original on 1 July 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ "Historie". Porta Coeli (in Czech). Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ "Třebíč UNESCO site". UNESCO Czech Republic. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ^ ISBN 80-85970-46-5.
- ^ "The Old-New Synagogue". Synagogue.cz. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ ISBN 80-85970-46-5.
- ISBN 978-80-7321-651-1.
- ^ "Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec". UNESCO. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ISBN 80-901587-1-4.
- ^ "Biskupský dvůr". Hrady.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ ISBN 978-80-85970-74-6.
- ISBN 80-85970-46-5.
- ^ "Old Town Bridge Tower". Královská cesta. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ^ ISBN 80-85970-46-5.
- ^ "History". Kašperk Castle. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ "Lesser Town Bridge Towers". Královská cesta (The Royal Route). Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ ISBN 978-80-242-3205-8.
- ^ Poche, Emanuel (1983). Praha středověká (in Czech). Praha: Panorama. p. 349.
- ISBN 80-86161-61-7.
- ISBN 80-86161-61-7.
- ^ ISBN 978-80-85970-74-6.
- ^ Poche, Emanuel (1983). Praha středověká (in Czech). Praha: Panorama. pp. 341–343.
- Bartlová, Milena. "Conflict, Tolerance, Representation, and Competition: A Confessional Profile of Bohemian Late Gothic Art." Bohemian Reformation and Religious Practice 5.2 (2005): p. 255-66.
Further reading
- Boehm, Barbara Drake; et al. (2005). Prague: The Crown of Bohemia, 1347-1437. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 1588391612.