Peter Parler | |
|---|---|
 Self-portrait in stone at St. Vitus Cathedral, c. 1370 | |
| Born | 1333 |
| Died | 13 July 1399(1399-07-13) (aged 68–69) |
| Other names | Peter von Gemünd Petr Parléř |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Children | Johann Parler Wenzel Parler |
| Parent | Heinrich Parler the Elder |
| Buildings | Frauenkirche St. Vitus Cathedral Charles Bridge |
| Design | Late Gothic |
Peter Parler (German:Peter von Gemünd,Czech:Petr Parléř,Latin:Petrus de Gemunden in Suevia; 1333 – 13 July 1399) was a German-Bohemian architect and sculptor from theParler family of master builders. Along with his father,Heinrich Parler, he is one of the most prominent and influential craftsmen of theMiddle Ages. Born and apprenticed in the town ofSchwäbisch Gmünd, Peter worked at several important late Medieval building sites, including Strasbourg, Cologne, and Nuremberg. After 1356 he lived inPrague, capital of theKingdom of Bohemia and seat of theHoly Roman Empire, where he created his most famous works:St. Vitus Cathedral and theCharles Bridge.
Little is known about the earliest youth of Peter Parler. His father,Heinrich Parler the Elder, was a stonemason atCologne Cathedral. Around 1333, when Peter was born, Heinrich was invited by thefree imperial city ofSchwäbisch Gmünd to take over construction of a large new parish church, Holy Cross Minster.[1] Peter was already working alongside his father on the church when the cornerstone of thechoir was laid in 1351. This is presumably also where his apprenticeship was completed. The division of the choir by a continuous balustrade demonstrates what would become his trademark style. The arched section at the southern portal of the church can also be attributed to Peter.[2] The designs developed by the father and son team at Holy Cross were unique and mark an important milestone in late Gothic architecture and sculpture.[3]
Peter then set off on hisGerman:Wanderjahre as awandering journeyman. On these visits he learned the most important concepts of Gothic construction techniques in Central Europe. He visited Cologne, perhapsParis, and certainly spent time inStrasbourg – precise knowledge ofStrasbourg Cathedral can be seen in his subsequent buildings.[4] While working in Cologne he met Druda (Gertrud), daughter of the resident architect Bartholomäus von Hamm. They eventually married and had four children: three sons, of which two went on to become known master builders in their own right, and a daughter.[5]
While undocumented, some scholars believe Parler traveled toEngland during this period, while others find the possibility unlikely. The idea arises because certain detailed and concealed technical devices appear in his later work which could have only been obtained through first-hand experience and not from any architectural drawings.[6] What is definitely known is that masons at Strasbourg implemented specific craft methods from western England in the late 1200s, which points to knowledge ofEnglish Gothic architectural methods in theRhineland.[7] Since Peter Parler spent time working at Strasbourg, it is much more likely his knowledge of these methods came from there.[8] In particular, the vaults he later designed at St. Vitus Cathedral were most probably modeled after the St. Catherine Chapel of Strasbourg Cathedral.[9]
Sometime after 1352 Peter joined the construction works at theFrauenkirche inNuremberg as theparlier, or chief site assistant alongside his father. The exact date and his precise role are unclear. The foundations of the church had already been laid in 1351 on the initiative ofCharles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, who envisioned it as a center for holding imperial ceremonies. This is reflected in the carvedcoats of arms of the Emperor, the sevenPrince-electors, and the city ofRome where theHoly Roman Emperors werecrowned. Here the first sculptures can be directly ascribed to Peter, among them a prominent figure ofZacharias.[8]
Charles also commissioned the building ofWenzelsburg Castle atLauf an der Pegnitz, near Nuremberg.[10] Built on the ruins of an older castle, its ambitious architecture can be directly connected to the Parlers and Peter probably worked there as a sculptor.[4] By 1355 their sophisticated style had come to the attention of Charles IV and Peter was called to work in Prague, the capitol of the new Kingdom of Bohemia and seat of the Emperor. The year of this appointment is not entirely clear since the documentary inscription in Prague was partially painted over in the 15th century. Today research usually sets the date to 1356,[11] which accounts for a pause in construction in both Nuremberg and Prague, as well as information that he was at least 23 years old at the time of his appointment.[8]
Upon his ascension to the throne asKing of Bohemia in 1347, Charles IV established his capital at Prague. At the time it consisted of two autonomous Medieval towns on each side of theVltava river (German:Moldau): theOld Town on the right and theLesser Town withPrague Castle above it on the left. In 1348 he ordered construction of theNew Town adjacent to the existingOld Town, foundedCharles University, began reconstruction of the castle, and restarted work on the cathedral. To accomplish this ambitious building program he recruited the best architects he could find. First wasMatthias of Arras, who died in 1352. When electedHoly Roman Emperor in 1355, Charles determined to make Prague the showcase capital ofCentral Europe and recruited Peter Parler to execute this grand vision. The period would launch what became known as Prague's "golden era" and it soon was the largest European city afterConstantinople,Paris, andGranada.[12]
When Peter arrived in Prague in 1356 at the age of 23, his immediate assignment was to take over the construction site at St. Vitus Cathedral, which had languished since the death of Matthias of Arras in 1352. It is indicative of Peter's talents that the most important building in the Empire was then entrusted to such a young architect.[4][13] Peter continued the works at St. Vitus from the ambulatory and chapels, which were partially complete, and gradually changed the Matthias plan while keeping continual references to the original vision.[8]
In 1342, just prior to the reign of Charles IV, theRomanesque Judith Bridge across the Vltava was severely damaged in a flood. It had been the first stone bridge to connect each bank of the river. In 1357, Charles commissioned Peter to build a new structure to reconnect the growing city, now consisting of 4 districts. The first foundation stone was ceremonially laid in the presence of the Emperor on 9 July 1357 at 5:31 am. The exact time is known because the architect had thepalindromic number 135797531 carved into the bridge's tower, having been chosen by the royal astrologists as the most auspicious for starting construction. Due to the complexity of the engineering project, and the large number of other projects underway, construction lasted until 1402.[14]
The east tower of the Bridge, Old Town Bridge Tower, was also built by Peter Parler. Its arch contains anet vault that was the first of its kind in Bohemia.[15]
Apart from the cathedral and the bridge, Peter was also the main designer of theNew Town of Prague. He also built theAll Saints' Chapel inside the Royal Palace of Prague Castle. After a fire in 1541 it was redecorated in theBaroque style. Between 1360–78 Parler built the chancel of theSt. Bartholomew church inKolín. Peter is also responsible for various tombs, shrines and sculptures at various sites in and around Prague, including atKutná Hora.[16]
TheParler family grew large and its many members worked at Gothic construction sites all overCentral Europe andNorthern Italy. Peter's branch of the family began with his marriage to his first wife, Gertrude. Although their wedding date is not exactly known, by 1360 they were raising three sons and a daughter:
After 1360, Peter owned a house inPrague Castle Square and had been elected city alderman. His first wife Gertrude died in the late 1360s and he returned to Cologne to dispose of her inheritance in 1370. He then married Elisabeth Agnes von Bur in 1380 and in the same year bought a second house on Castle Square. From this marriage two more children were born: Johann, who possibly became a stonemason inZagreb; and Paul, about whom no information survives.[19] He may have had other children as well.[5] The purchase of the houses, the marriage of his daughter, and the number of his children led to some legal disputes. Peter Parler is known to have relinquished both houses to his second wife and their children.[20]
Peter was granted citizenship in Prague in 1379.[4] By his old age he had become a wealthy man and was still active as an architect. His name appears as Cathedral Master (German:Dombaumeister) on a panel at St. Vitus as late as 1396.[21] He died in Prague in 1399 and was buried at St. Vitus Cathedral, with his sons Peter and Wenzel carrying on his work.
Peter Parler was one of the most well-known and influential craftsman of the Middle Ages.[13][22] The designs of both him and his father became known as the "Parler style" and spread throughout Central Europe. Significant examples include:St. Martin's Church, Landshut (begun 1389);St. Lorenz, Nuremberg (nave begun 1400); St. George's Minster,Dinkelsbühl (begun 1448);St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna (south tower begun 1368); and numerous other examples across theHanseatic League from theNetherlands toPoland. Examples can also be found inScandinavia, such as at St. Mary's,Helsingør,Denmark.[23]
A demonstration of just how far his ideas went can be found atSeville Cathedral, begun in 1402 and today still the largest Gothic cathedral in the world.[24] The standard Gothic verticality of the central space is broken up by abalustrade at the boundary with theclerestory windows. More importantly, the balustrade's widely spaced vertical bars and its position flowing outside of the outermost ribs are exactly like Peter Parler's original design of the western bays at St. Vitus’ Cathedral.[25] Construction at Seville Cathedral continued until 1506.
During theHussite wars (1419–1434) thelands of the Bohemian Crown were totally ravaged. Although his buildings still stand, much of Peter Parler's sculptural works were destroyed. A portrait of him, carved out of his hand, remains in theDomgalerie at St. Vitus Cathedral.
AnAsteroid named in honor of Peter Parler,6550 Parléř, was discovered byAntonín Mrkos atKleť Observatory on 4 November 1988.[26]
The "Peter Parler Prize" was established in 1994 by theGerman Foundation for Monument Protection (German:Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz) and the Federal Association of German Stonemasons (German:Bundesverband Deutscher Steinmetze). It is awarded every two years at the International Exhibition of Natural Stone and Stone Processing in Nuremberg for outstanding service in the preservation of cultural heritage. The prize is accompanied by a commemorative bust of Peter Parler and EUR 15,000.[27] It was most recently awarded in 2015 to August Weber and Helmut Schneider for restoration work at St. George's church inUlm.[28]
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