The Votive Altarpiece from Hýrov

The central elongated panel of the Hýrov triptych features the enthroned Virgin and Child in front of a decorative curtain and a group of supplicants: a monk holding a large inscription band and a married couple. On the inner side of the left wing, St Margaret stands on a massive dragon, and the right wing depicts St John the Baptist. The work was commissioned by a Benedictine monk (possibly one of the post-Hussite Zátoň priors) and a secular couple whose coat-of-arms was later painted over. During the Hussite wars, the main artistic hubs tended to shift from Prague to more serene parts of the kingdom, such as the South-Bohemian Rožmberk (Rosenberg) dominion, or abroad. The art of the given era was also characteristic of withdrawing from the previous highly aestheticized and luxurious expression, which resulted in employing a limited range of decorative methods as well as a simplified decoration as such.