Der Herrscher auf dem Sakralbild zur Zeit der Gegenreformation und des Barock

Der Herrscher auf dem Sakralbild zur Zeit der Gegenreformation und des Barock. Eine ikonologische Untersuchung zur herrscherlichen Repräsentation Kaiser Ferdinands II. in Böhmen

Štěpán Vácha

Displaying of the sovereign in the post-Tridentine sacred image constitutes a peculiar hitherto unexplored phenomenon of early modern art. The author of presented book puts it into relation with the contemporaneous, extremely intensified sovereign’s activity in the field of church patronage and with his need to be adequately represented in the liturgical space. The main focus – with regard to the Bohemian environment and the issue of Pietas austriaca – is paid to the representation of the emperor Ferdinand II, whose youth spiritual formation, personal piety and religious politics are strongly reflected in its iconography and public image. It is particularly evident in two works – the wall painting in St. Vitus Cathedral (1631) and the main altar painting in the Church of Our Lady of Victory in the Lesser Town (1641) in Prague. Their iconography is thoroughly discussed and the circumstances of their genesis are portrayed against the backdrop of contemporary construction history of both temples. The final interpretation is based on detailed research on important religious festivity of baroque Prague, the thanks giving procession which took place in the 17th and 18th centuries in memory of Ferdinand II’s victory over Bohemian estates in the battle of White Mountain on 8 November 1620. The book also contains unpublished sources that are related not only to the subject, but also bring new knowledge to the general religious history of Bohemia.

First editon, German, 327 p., black-and-white illustrations and 31 p. colour illustrated inset, Prague 2009
ISBN 978-80-86890-23-4