Zprávy památkové péče 2016, 76(4):407-416

Braun's "Nativity" - sculpture work in a natural setting and the problems of its reception and restoration

Vratislav Nejedlý

The article starts from the recent cleansing of the relief of Braun's "Nativity" and discusses the current state of the monument and reflections of its restoration in a wider historical context. The introduction recalls how the view towards surface treatment of stone sculpted works during the 19th century changed, since value was perceived in the pure stone itself without a color coating. The change in approach had a significant impact especially on exterior sculpture works, Braun's "Nativity" being one of them. Another fundamental shift in the approach to monuments was the new relationship to nature and to the natural environment. This is exemplified in the restoration of the cemetery in Střílky at the late 19th century, when to leave the work to "picturesquely disappear" under the influence of nature was an entirely legitimate conservationist approach for some time. The article illustrates that "Nativity" avoided a similar fate, since the tradition was always to perceive it primarily as an artificially formed human creation and only secondarily as a monument within nature.
These topics determined the discussion of "Nativity" in the 19th and 20th centuries. Based on a comparison, the article concludes that a principle shift has not occurred since then. Although many interesting findings have been ascertained about the monument, its history, and its status, discussions are still addressing the same issues. No practical steps to save the monuments have yet been made, even though there has been a general consensus about its decrepit state since at least the 1980's. The author concludes that one of the reasons for this is the fact that the discussions have not yet actually formulated the main artistic, historical, craft, and material value of the monument, so the debate remains entirely on the level of partial and, mostly, material-technical insights. It thus concludes with a summary of the basic questions that should be taken into account while considering the relief.

Keywords: Nativity near Kuks; M. B. Braun; restoration; heritage values; restoration history; Střílky

Published: December 1, 2016  Show citation