Petr Brandl: Příběh bohéma

Petr Brandl (1668 Prague - 1735 Kutná Hora) is one of the most important artists of Baroque art in Bohemia. The last exhibition of this painter was held in 1969, more than fifty years ago, and it is therefore important that his work be brought back to the attention of the widest possible public.

The catalogue, in line with the exhibition, is conceived as telling two parallel stories: the "story" of the painter's works and the "story" of his life. The beginning is dedicated to Brandl's student years and also introduces the painters from whose work Brandl had the opportunity to draw inspiration. At the same time, the variety of subjects in Brandl's oeuvre is presented, from large-scale altarpieces to portraits of noble commissioners, iconographically exceptional genre paintings with themes of underwater felchars. Considerable attention is paid to Brandl's distinctive and highly original painting technique, remarkable also for its proximity to the manuscript manifestations of Rembrandt Van Rijn. Macro photographs are presented for selected works, which convey interesting details to the viewer, such as fingerprints and engraving with a brush handle into the undried paint layer.