Art Up Close: Czech Patron Saints in Works by Old Masters

Guided tour with commentary by lecturer Alexandra Brabcová in the "Old Masters I" exhibition at Schwarzenberg Palace. The theme draws from the Habsburg era, when the strengthening influence of the Catholic Church prompted new artistic commissions for the decoration of churches, chapels, and aristocratic residences.

The tour will focus on depictions of Czech patron saints - from the Slavic apostles St. Cyril and Methodius through St. Ludmila and St. Adalbert to St. John of Nepomuk, whose cult spread after canonization in the 18th century. Saints were depicted by both local artists and masters of foreign origin: the exhibition features works by Bartholomeus Spranger, Jan Kryštof Liška, Anton Kern, and Ferdinand Maxmilián Brokoff.

Special attention will be given to the legend of St. Wenceslas, created in the Augustinian monastery in Prague's Zderazi district, and to the lunettes by Karel Škréta depicting scenes from this legend - at a time when we commemorate the anniversary of St. Wenceslas's murder.

The tour is part of the "Art Up Close" series, which always focuses on a specific part of the collections and places the chosen theme within broader historical and artistic contexts.