The
exhibition is being held on the 500th anniversary of the accession of the House
of Habsburg to the Bohemian throne and the establishment of the Habsburg
monarchy within Central Europe. In 1526, when Louis II of Bohemia and Hungary died in the Battle of Mohács against the Ottomans, Ferdinand I, as the husband of Louis II’ s sister Anne Jagiellon, was elected King of Bohemia and Hungary. It is Queen
Anne who is the subject of this exhibition, which
presents her character and the significant historical role she played within
the Habsburg-Jagiellon dynasty. The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to
gain an insight into the chequered and often demanding life of the queen,
associated with multiple duties, frequent travels, and the motherhood of
fifteen children. Her story is presented within the context of the time,
characterised by the ever-present danger of Ottoman incursions, the spread of
reformist religious ideas, as well as the expansion of humanism and the
Renaissance. The exhibition also provides an insight into the queen’s private
life, in which she is given the opportunity to speak through her correspondence.
An
important theme within the exhibition is architectural and artistic production
in Bohemia and Central Europe, to whose flourishing the Jagiellonian and
Habsburg dynasties contributed significantly. This is represented by the
most prestigious works commissioned by Ferdinand I, Anne, and their closest
circle, made by the most eminent artists
of the day: Lucas Cranach the Elder, Conrat Meit, Hans Maler, Jakob
Seisenegger, Albrecht Dürer, Titian, and others. One part of the exhibition also presents the transformation of Prague Castle, which was one of the main
seats of the royal couple.
More than
two hundred rare exhibits are loaned from a range of national and international
institutions, including the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Staatliche Museen zu
Berlin, Zamek Królewski na Wawelu, and others.
A catalogue will be published on the occasion of the exhibition, featuring texts contributed by more than fifty experts from the Czech Republic and abroad. Accompanying programmes will also be prepared for schools and for individual visitors of all age groups.
A catalogue will be published on the occasion of the exhibition, featuring texts contributed by more than fifty experts from the Czech Republic and abroad. Accompanying programmes will also be prepared for schools and for individual visitors of all age groups.
The exhibition is held under the auspices of Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic, and his wife, Eva Pavlová.
