On the Baroque Decoration of the Church of St Vitus in Libědice in North Bohemia | Results of Research on Interior Decorations from Artificial Marble

The Church of St Vitus in Libědice is a newly built Baroque structure featuring lavish interior decoration from the 18th century. The exceptional synthesis of collaboration among the architect, painters, sculptors, and stucco workers is comparable to the most significant High Baroque monuments in Central Europe. Artificial marble decorations produced by the workshop of the North Italian stucco worker, Giacomo Antonio Corbellini (1674–1742), dominate the Libědice church. The scope and lavishness of this decoration were unparalleled in the early 18th century in the Czech lands. Entire walls of the church nave, presbytery, and choir, along with two side altars, were crafted from artificial marble. The scagliola antependia, originally and inventively interpreted by Corbellini in the spirit of Italian tradition, are exceptional. The article summarises the context of the church’s origin and describes its decoration with an emphasis on artificial marble, situating it within the broader context of the development of this method in the early 18th century. The decoration of the Libědice church is compared with G. A. Corbellini’s similar works. The authors of the article raise questions about the workshop procedures and the handling of commissions.

Keywords: Baroque church – Libědice – artificial marble – scagliola – G. A. Corbellini