Clam-Gallas Palace by Karel Stolar - Prague, Czech Republic
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ToRo61
N 50° 05.209 E 014° 25.056
33U E 458336 N 5548446
Clam-Gallas Palace by Karel Stolar
Waymark Code: WMTQZJ
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 01/01/2017
Views: 30
The one of the most beautiful Prague palaces is an example of unique, purely Viennese Baroque palace construction. It was built from 1713 on for a Neapolitan governor general Jan Václav Gallas, in place of a smaller palace and several burgess houses. The palace was built by Jan Dominik Canevalle according to a project of significant Vienna architect Jan Bernhard Fischer of Erlach. When J. V. Gallas died in 1719, the construction was continued by his heir Filip Josef, who concluded a contract for painting decorations in the palace with an excellent Italian painter Carlo Carlone. In 1757, the Gallas family died out and the palace was inherited by the son of Gallas’ sister Kristián Filip of Clam. Thus both the names were connected and a family of Clam-Gallas came into existence.
The overall appearance of the building was motivated by antique mythology. A monumental representative palace complex included a four-wing two-storied building around a square yard, with a front and two portals and a rear wing reaching all the way to the square Malé námestí. The palace building is a perfect example of a monumental construction in tight medieval development. Sculptural work was carried out by the workshop of Matyáš Bernard Braun: statues of giants by both the portals at the front and panels representing Hercules’ actions, two vases with playing little angels, the statue of Triton on the fountain at the yard, and original thirteen statues at the palace’s attics, of which most had to be taken down due to bad state as early as in 1880. The palace staircase is remarkable with its decoration and beautiful balustrade. Well-known statue of Vltava named Terezka by Václav Práchner is located within the wall by the small garden, established in 1800 in place of the former cemetery by the Virgin Mary Church at Louže (today accessible from the Mariánské Square).
At the time of the greatest prosperity, balls and concerts were held here. The palace was often visited by famous guests, such as Mozart with his wife Constance and Josefina Dušková, supposedly a close friend of the Clam-Gallases. Even Beethoven performed here. When the owners were short of money for maintenance of the extensive property, they hired some of the premises to the authorities. When Franz Kafka completed the law studies, he started to work here as a trainee.
The author of this painting is Karel Stolar. Karel Stolar is the book illustrator who is dedicated to creating drawings sights. You can find this painting in book 'Pražské domy vyprávejí -'
This book is one of a twelve-part series of books describing structural changes and the development of cultural-historical monuments of Prague (houses, villas and palaces, library, banks, school, museum, hospital, farm, etc.).
Website of painting. Exact URL of painting is required: [Web Link]
Artist: Karel Stolař
Date of Your Photograph: 12/30/2016
Medium of Painting: pen and ink
Date of Painting: Not listed
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