Vision of St Luitgard

Matthias Bernhard Braun

Matthias Bernhard Braun - Vision of St Luitgard
It was probably soon after his return from Italy in late 1708 that the young Matthias Braun obtained a prestigious commission to make a large stone sculptural group for Charles Bridge in Prague, initiated by the Abbot of the Cistercian monastery in Plasy, Eugen Tyttl. This man stated the theme of the work: the mystical vision of the blind Flemish nun from the 13th century. In comparison with the monumental sculpture on Charles Bridge, which represents an absolute pinnacle of Baroque sculpture in Bohemia, and with the preserved terracotta bozzetto (Turmmuseum, Oetz), our gilded carving shows some small differences. Its brilliant modelling and the conspicuously minute character suggest that it came into being only after the work on the bridge group was finished, perhaps as a personal gift to Abbot Tyttl, the first great patron of this master, already domesticated in Prague.
date:
measurements: height 68 cm
material: gilded limewood
inventory number: P 3244
gallery collection: Collection of Old Masters

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