Tomáš Knoflíček

Malířská výzdoba kostela sv. Bartoloměje v Kuněticích

The mural paintings in the Church of St Bartholomew in Kunětice were discovered at the close of the 19th century, but shortly afterwards most of the work was whitewashed over again or destroyed. Only three scenes remained uncovered but conspicuously marred by modern retouching (Man of Sorrows, Martyrdom of St Ursula, and a pair of saints). Therefore, the recent uncovering of the decoration of the chancel arch containing scenes of the Last Judgement, the Martyrdom of St Erasmus, the Martyrdom of Ten Thousand Knights, the Annunciation and images of the patron saints of Bohemia has enhanced the opportunities for conducting a formal analysis of the paintings. As well as contemporary images they allow us to witness examples of stylistic movements in monumental painting from the second half of the 14th and the start of the 15th century. The early Charles IV tradition of Court Style painting, which must have had a strong base somewhere in the immediate region, given the examples of it found in paintings from Kojice, Kostelec (near Heřmanův Městec), and Přelouč, is reflected in the scene of the Last Judgement. The figures of the apostles in this composition moreover stand out for the strong similarity in the style of painting as that in Přelouč, so much so that it could possibly be work from the same workshop, perhaps mediated through Opatovice Monastery, as both localities were the property of the Monastery at that time. The formal range of this workshop gradually grew to include other styles. The strong accent on traditional and modern techniques thus in the workshop's work produced a synthesis in which the tradition style of earlier court production and the current International Gothic Style and its antipode, the so-called Naturalistic Style, were enhanced in value. This stylistic syncretism defines the character of most of the newly uncovered paintings. The most advanced painting, which conforms to roughly the second decade of the 15th century, shows the patron saints of Bohemia, whose ties to Prague can be demonstrated, for instance, by a comparison with decorations done in the beautiful style on building no. 440/I in Michalská Street in Prague.

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