Abstract
The City of Prague Museum's collection of medieval carvings is not that extensive but it contains several important works that enjoy continuous interest among art historians. For example, there is the relief of the Lamentation from Žebrák, the sculpture of the Suffering Christ from the New Town Hall and the relief of the Lamentation of Christ from the Church of Our Lady before Týn.
As well as these renowned exhibits the museum's collection also contains several other works that are less well-known but are nevertheless also noteworthy. The Pieta from the Church of Our Lady before Týn probably dates from the 1380s and is closely connected with the Brno group of pietas that was created by art historical research concerning the pieta from St Thomas' Church and in which it represents a less numerous sub-group of work in wood.
The Madonna from St Haštal's church comes from the wide stream of the late fine style of the first quarter of the 15 century. The carving of the Crucified Christ from St James' church was probably created before the outbreak of the Hussite Wars and in form is related to the work of the Master of the Týn Calvary.
The Pieta from the Church of the Holy Spirit dates from the 1470s and is evidence of elements of contemporary Dutch and Rhineland works penetrating into the Czech environment and blending with local tradition. The carving of Virgin and Child with Saint Anne from Prague Cathedral , which for a long time had been thought to have been lost, can, despite it being unclear how much of it is original, also be included among the many late Gothic relics from the end of the 15th century, which reflect the major influence that the work of the southern German master Hans Multscher had.
The carving of St Wenceslas from St Wenceslas' Church in Prosek from the beginning of the 16th century represents a layer of czech sculpture oriented to the saxon environment, specifically the work of the Master of the Cathedral Apostles, working in Freiburg. The small carving with a scene of the Nativity from the Monastery of Barefoot Carmelites in Hradčany probably dates from the first quarter of the 16th century and is a perfect example of the considerable influence that graphic work had on other artistic disciplines in the late Gothic period.
Among the sculptures originating outside Prague is the fairly poor quality sculpture of St Barbara from the end of the 15th century, which comes from Klášter u Nepomuku in southwestern Bohemia. Of unknown origin are the carving of the Madonna with the infant Jesus, which is probably Czech work from the 3rd quarter of the 15th century, the small carving of a saint with a book from around the year 1500, which can be included among the relics of late Gothic sculpture from southwestern Bohemia, and the sculpture of St Peter from the beginning of the 16th century, which has formal ties to the Saxon environment.