MASTER THEODERIC
(active 1350-70 in Prague)

Chapel of the Holy Cross

1360-65
Tempera on wood
Chapel of the Cross, Karlstein

The Chapel of the Holy Cross at Karlstein castle, near Prague was built to house the relics and regalia belonging to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. The chapel is like a jeweled cave. Star-shaped mirrors decorate the vaults, while various richly patterned marbles and gemstones are set into the walls below a gallery of 130 icon-like saints. These holy persons, painted by the Bohemian artist Master Theoderic, loom out at the beholder, bursting from their frames, their fat hands grasping sculpted shields and heavily embossed books. Master Theoderic constantly breaks the illusionistic surface with realistic objects, which he pins or nails onto the panel like a modern collage.