Zprávy památkové péče 2018, 78(5):479-486 | DOI: 10.56112/zpp.2018.5.08

Restoration of Baroque statues from the attics of the entrance faćade of the Karlín Invalidovna in 1917 and 1919-1920

Marek Pařízek, Jana Pařízková Čevonová

NPÚ, GnŘ

The construction of Prague's Invalidovna was carried out in 1731-1737 on the decision of Emperor Charles VI. The architect was Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer. The original intention to set statues on the faćade of Invalidovna, as captured on its plans, was reduced and altered during the construction. At present, the sculptural decoration consists of a trophy assembly of sculptures on the western faćade and a set of twelve trophies on the two attics of the northern entrance faćade. Literature dates them to the period of construction in the 1730's and associates them with the workshop of Matyáš Bernard Braun. The use of less common iconography has also been pointed out. A more detailed archeological and historical analysis that would verify these findings has not yet been carried out. The objective obstacle to such an analysis is the fact that the statues have predominantly been preserved in only more or less credible copies. A material restoration, launched in 1917 and continuing in 1919-1920, illustrates the fates of many of the Baroque originals. At the same time, it gives us a glimpse into the practice of heritage care during the break-up period of Austria-Hungary and the rise of the Czechoslovak Republic. The first stage of the warlike atmosphere of Austro-Hungarian military warfare allowed for the destruction of statues in the spirit of older purist heritage renovation during the restoration process, or perhaps replacing them with copies that even fell outside the original architectural context. This process was planned more or less from the beginning and was carried out with the knowledge of the Vienna Central Commission. It was justified by the inconsistency of the stone, which did not allow for the statues to remain on the attics or even for them to be removed. Based on the reports of Luboš Jeřábek of the then Central Conservatory of the Vienna Central Committee, it is clear that financial constraints were decisive, rather than technical. This was evident, among other things, in the construction of the scaffolding, which involved the sculptures being cut apart. The attempt to use the cheaper work of qualified conscripts, particularly the sculptors Jindřich Čapek Jr. and Václav Mařan, was also telling. In general, the support from the military administration and the Ministry of Culture and Education was inadequate, and not even the Prague Museum seemed to be interested in acquiring the originals into its collections. According to Stanislav Sochor, Conservator of the State Heritage Office, the statues from the western attic were finally thrown from the scaffolding in 1917. Reports on the possible subsequent storage of fragments or damaged torsos are missing and seem unlikely. The continuation of the sculptural decoration of the western attic up until the present has been ensured by gypsum copies, criticized by Stanislav Sochor for their excess of accessories. Continuation of the work in 1919-1920 saw a desirable turn towards a conservational approach to heritage care, placing emphasis on the material nature of the monument. The new Czechoslovak state institutions, especially the Ministry of Education and National Enlightenment, where Zdeněk Wirth worked, had a more favorable approach. Restoration work was carried out on six statues of the eastern Attic by sculptors František Hergesel Jr. and Karel Novák. After a more thorough assessment of their condition, three of them were taken down. The location of their later deposit was not specified during the preparations and is currently unknown. The fact that they were not broken, as was the case for the western attics, is demonstrated only by a corresponding increase in funding. They were immediately replaced by concrete spouts in their original locations. Restoration surveys in 2009 found exclusively artificial stone moldings in the attics. The remaining three statues of the eastern attic were also replaced over time. As with the other statues, their secondary location is currently unknown. The only currently available original element from the entire sculptural ensemble of the Invalidovna faćades is the trophy sculpture ensemble preserved in the enclaved pediment on the western faćade of the building.

Keywords: Prague 8 - Karlín, Invalidovna, heritage care, Baroque sculpture, restoration, Luboš Jeřábek, Stanislav Sochor, Zdeněk Wirth, Jindřich Čapek Jr., Václav Mařan, František Hergesel Jr., Karel Novák

Published: December 1, 2018  Show citation