Figure & lettering

This first publication to map out sepulchral sculpture during the period of the rule of the Jagiellon dynasty, which is undoubtedly one of the pre-eminent periods in Czech art history, contributes towards an overall view of the artistic culture of this era through a survey of a specific field of sculpture from the art-historical and epigraphic viewpoint. Working from the example of the relatively small and exclusive group of artefacts, it examines the extent to which the significance of that age is projected into the inscriptions that have been preserved. The relevance and interest of this question is further accentuated by the fact that the second half of the 15th century and the first half of the 16th is, from the point of view of Central European, and naturally Czech, epigraphy, a period that represents in many respects a turning point. Although the collection of works that are studied has been preserved only in fragmentary state, the individual artefacts testify to the social status of the people who commissioned them, their religious convictions, cultural level, and artistic sensitivity, and also to the linguistic usage of the historical period under review. The text, which includes art-historical and epigraphic studies and a detailed catalogue of artefacts, also covers sepulchral sculptures that were created outside the historical framework of the Jagiellon dynasty (1471–1526). One reason for this is the continuity of production of some conservative sculptural workshops and the types of funeral monuments manufactured there, which extended beyond the delimiting dates of the period. The trends that would be followed in the succeeding era are indicated by the tomb of Vojt?ch of Pernštejn, combining the traditional artistic approach with an Italian-style portrait of more refined form. Each of the 25 catalogue entries is accompanied by four illustrations.