Preliminary communication
Anđela Horvat’s Thesis on Prague Masters Parler on Gradec and Kaptol in Zagreb
Zdenko Balog
; Pučko otvoreno učilište, Križevci
Abstract
In several scholarly papers published in 1950s and 1960s, the distinguished art historian Anđela Horvat proposed a bold thesis of the arrival and stay of (a group of) masters from the Prague-based workshop of Peter Parler in Zagreb, who were to realize the south portal of the church of St Mark on Gradec and the »Monstrous Gallery« in Zagreb Cathedral, stylistically relatively clear continuations of the activity of the Prague school. These cardinal works, according to Anđela Horvat’s thesis, exerted a strong infl uence on a series of works of art realized in northern Croatia (Plemenšćina, Medvedgrad, Nedelišće) and elsewhere (Ilok) in the fi rst half of the 15th century. Although many authors followed Anđela Horvat’s conclusions in their own studies of the artworks in question, her thesis, although frequently cited, has not evolved as one would expect. The problem of the infl uence of the Prague family Parler in Central and Southeast Europe has been a vigorous research topic, but has also generated numerous
controversies among different authors. The studies published over the last few decades tend to limit their infl uence outside the Czech lands after the beginning of the 15th century. Can the thesis advanced more than half a century ago remain applicable today, given the fact that it has not been expanded or revised through modern methods and possibilities of comparative analysis? The subject of Central European International Gothic has recently been addressed through numerous initiatives, major exhibitions, conferences and editorial projects. Therefore, in the light of new research, the perception of this material cannot remain as simple and transparent as it seemed half a century ago. However, new fi ndings bring forth new evidence and artistic material which testify that the distinguished art historian and probably the most important Croatian fi eld researcher of the 20th century had the ability to perceive and recognize the connections that were yet to be studied and confi rmed. This paper offers a brief revision of Anđela Horvat’s basic theses on the subject and discusses the present position of the discipline regarding these issues.
Keywords
Anđela Horvat; Parler family; Gothic; Prague; Croatia; Styria; architecture; architectural sculpture
Hrčak ID:
188397
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2011.
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