Databáze uměleckých výstav v českých zemích 1820 – 1950

Henryk Siemiradzki was born in Kharkiv in 1843. He was introduced to the visual arts during his studies at a gymnasium under D. I. Bezperchy, a former student of the Russian Romantic painter Karl Bryullov. Although he later decided to study the natural sciences at the local university, he continued his artistic pursuits throughout his studies. After graduating, he enrolled at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg, where he studied from 1864 to 1870. After completing his training, he traveled across Europe, beginning in Munich, where he studied under Karl von Piloty, followed by France, and finally Rome. There, he settled for an extended period and completed his first monumental work, Roman Orgies. [Anonymous author 1902] These formative journeys profoundly influenced his approach to monumental painting, leading him to explore classical, biblical, and historical themes, particularly from Slavic and Polish history. Throughout his career, he undertook several major projects for museums, palaces, and theaters, painting decorative allegories, such as the monumental curtain for the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre in Kraków and fresco decorations for the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. He received the Legion of Honor and a gold medal for a painting he presented at the World's Fair in Paris.

Siemiradzki completed Nero's Torches, a large canvas depicting the triumph of the Christian faith over paganism, in 1876, and first exhibited it that same year at the Accademia di San Luca in Rome. [Kl. 1879] The painting subsequently traveled across Europe, stopping in Vienna, Munich, Lviv, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Poznań, Paris, London, and Prague. Single-painting exhibitions became a popular means of presenting monumental historical works around the mid-19th century. The Fine Arts Association followed this trend, introducing broader audiences to works by Paul Delaroche in 1851 and Louis Gallait in 1852. The Prague exhibition of Nero's Torches took place in the spring of 1879, after the association requested the painting in February of the previous year. Due to its colossal dimensions [385 x 705 cm], the work was installed in the church hall of the Czech Polytechnic on Charles Square rather than the originally intended Old Town Hall. [Anonymous author 1902] The “church hall” was likely the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in the former Zderaz monastery complex, which was demolished in 1904 and had belonged to the Czech Polytechnic (Czech Technical University, CTU) since the late 1870s. According to Světozor, the exhibition entrance was opposite the St. Wenceslas prison, which would correspond to today's address 329 Diettrichova Street, across from the Church of St. Wenceslas. The public could witness Siemiradzki's monumental achievement firsthand from May 10 to June 10, 1879.

The painting depicts the triumph of the Christian faith through a scene from Roman history showing the burning of early Christians in the presence of Emperor Nero. Although one reviewer criticized Siemiradzki for making the central motif – the titular torches – barely discernible in the composition, the work demonstrated his "remarkable artistic intelligence" in both technical execution and overall composition. [O.H. 1879] Miroslav Tyrš provided an extensive analysis of the subject matter and aesthetic qualities in Osvěta, hailing Siemiradzki as a "newly risen star on the Slavic horizon." According to Tyrš, the artist showed exceptional talent in his use of color and truthful representation, which, combined with his sensitivity to detailed and authentic drapery, compensated for weaknesses in his handling of perspective. This emphasis on coloristic values represents a primary characteristic of historical realism, also evident in the historical paintings of the Belgian school. [Tyrš 1879]

The exhibition attracted large crowds. By late May, 3,000 visitors had been recorded, and the number doubled within two weeks. The painting's popularity led to its selection as the premium motif for Česká včela (Czech Bee), engraved by J. Holeviňský for the Warsaw printing house Levental. [Anonymous author 1879a]

The work was admired not only for its masterful technical and coloristic execution but also for the artist's decision to create a historical genre work in unusually colossal dimensions. Historical painting was a popular genre that attracted viewers through both its monumental scale and compelling subjects drawn from world and national history, at a time when society was experiencing a crisis of national and cultural identity. That same year, the Fine Arts Association's annual exhibition at Žofín featured Jan Knöchel's historical painting On the Seashore and Václav Brožík's Envoys of Ladislaus Posthumous, King of Bohemia and Hungary, to the Court of Charles VII, King of France, 1457. [Anonymous author 1879b] In 1879, the Artistic Forum had originally planned to present three major figures in contemporary historical painting who were all highly popular throughout Europe. The first of these artists, Václav Brožík, was to exhibit his Envoys, but he ultimately presented it at the Fine Arts Association's annual show. The second was to be Siemiradzki's Polish colleague Jan Matejko with The Battle of Grunwald, but that exhibition fell through as well, leaving only Siemiradzki's single-painting display. Despite these unfulfilled expectations, the exhibition was one of the most popular, with 6,658 visitors. The Artistic Forum thus successfully continued the tradition of single-painting exhibitions. Siemiradzki had already received the Legion of Honor for Nero's Torches in 1878, and the work is rightfully considered his greatest life achievement. After the exhibition ended, Siemiradzki donated the painting to the newly established museum in Kraków. [Anonymous author 1879c]

Kamila Červinková

Works Cited

Anonymous author 1902: Anonymous author, Vlasť IXX, 1902, no. 12, p. 1180

Kl. 1879: Kl., Drobné zprávy, Koleda, 1879, no. 17, 10.6., pp. 115–118

O.H. 1879: O.H. [Otakar Hostinský], Z ruchu uměleckého, Květy I, 1879, no. 5, pp. 378–379

Tyrš 1879: Miroslav Tyrš, Rozhledy v umění výtvarném, Osvěta IX, 1879, no. 7, pp. 592–606

Anonymous author 1879a: Anonymous author, Literatura a umění, Ženské listy VII, 1879, no. 9, 1. 9., p. 133

Anonymous author 1879b: Anonymous author, Světozor XIII, 1879, no. 17, 24. 4., pp. 198–199

Anonymous author 1879c: Anonymous author, České noviny (dříve Posel z Prahy), 1879, no. 240, 8. 10., p. 2

Further Reading

 Hanuš Jelínek, Padesát let Umělecké besedy 1863–1913, Praha 1913, pp. 7–8

Jan Neruda, Kritické spisy Jana Nerudy, Praha 1911, p. 437

Anonymous author, Květy I, 1879, no. 7, 07.1879, p. 119

Anonymous author, Výtvarné umění, Světozor XIII, 1879, no. 15, 2.4., p. 179

Anonymous author, Zprávy pražské a venkovské, Posel z Prahy, 1879, no. 100, 27.4., p. 2

Anonymous author, Zprávy pražské a venkovské, Posel z Prahy, 1879, no. 124, 25.5., p. 2

Anonymous author, Zprávy pražské a venkovské, Posel z Prahy, 1879, no. 136, 8.6., p. 2

Anonymous author, Pražská kronika, Čech XI, 1879, no. 85, 12.4., p. 3

Anonymous author, Pražská kronika, Čech XI, 1879, no. 120, 28.5., p. 2

Anonymous author, České noviny (dříve Posel z Prahy), 1879, no. 240, 8.10., p. 2

Lad. Brtnický, Slovanské umění na výstavě v Mnichově, Ruch I, 1879, no. 2, p. 76

Chp., Výtvarné umění, Světozor XIII, 1879, no. 20, 15.5., p. 23

Nezabudov, Příloha k no. 16, Koleda, 1879, no. 16, 1.6. 1879, p. 105