The Decoration of Písně Chval Božských [Songs of Divine Worship] from the National Museum Library
| Pages | 53–59 |
|---|---|
| DOI | 10.37520/amnpsc.2020.006 |
| Keywords | manuscript – hymn-book – 16th century – illumination – Matěj Hutský of Křivoklát |
| Type of Article | Peer-reviewed |
| Citation | SOUČKOVÁ, Ema. The Decoration of Písně Chval Božských [Songs of Divine Worship] from the National Museum Library. Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae – Historia litterarum. Prague: National Museum, 2020, 65(1-2), 53–59. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37520/amnpsc.2020.006. ISSN 2570-6861 (Print), 2570-687X (Online). Also available from: https://publikace.nm.cz/en/periodicals/amnphl/65-1-2/the-decoration-of-pisne-chval-bozskych-songs-of-divine-worship-from-the-national-museum-library |
The handwritten monumental hymn-book discussed was most likely made in the 1560s in the workshop of Jan Táborský of Klokotská Hora, and the decoration was painted by Matěj Hutský of Křivoklát, who was a very sought-after artist in his time. The decoration of the codex follows the usual period template for illuminated songbooks, which were very numerous in the lands of the Bohemian Crown in the 16th century. The figural themes are placed in the margins and are complemented by acanthus leaves with golden droplets, which terminate in pruned branches. On three folios, the painted motifs are furthermore composed on the basis of typological parallelism: a scene from the New Testament is linked to an Old Testament scene, which is also usual in other codices. The manuscript’s decoration is, however, not the pinnacle of 16th-century book illumination. The style is loose, sometimes excessively drawn. It is possible that the commissioner, most likely of the burgher elite, preferred the simpler form of illumination because of financial constraints.
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