Průzkumy památek 2024, 31(2)

Group of Paintings of the Chudenice Altarpiece The Case of a Late Gothic Painting Workshop in the Nobility’s Service

Ondřej Šindlář

The study deals with a few Late Gothic panel paintings which, based on a formal analysis from the beginning of the 20th century, were linked by the common starting point – a painting workshop. The anonymous painter received an alternative name, Master of the Chudenice Altarpiece. This example shows artificially constructed painting workshops in Bohemia, and the historical workshop practice as it reflects upon the relevancy of this traditional art historical concept. However, the revised formal analysis backed up by the latest survey of underdrawings substantiated that the common authorship of these paintings can still be considered relevant. A thorough provenance survey of the Chudenice altarpiece and the epitaphs of Půta Švihovský (Botho Schwihau) add to the research based on archival sources, typology, and analogies. New findings about the works’ origin further illustrate the commissioning practice of the late medieval nobility in Southwest Bohemia, as both cases provide evidence of the family representation in residential localities. It is remarkable that two distantly related noble families used a single painting workshop which was not a unique factor in the area, but it still deserves special attention.

Keywords: Late Gothic painting – Southwest Bohemia – Gothic altarpiece – Gothic epitaph – painting workshop – Master of the Chudenice Altarpiece

Published: December 15, 2024  Show citation