Genre painting of the 17th and early 18th centuries in Bohemia

The theme of the thesis "Genre Painting of the 1 i h and early 18th Centuries in Bohemia" was primarily selected due to the fact that until now none of the scholars had attended to this topic. Therefore the thesis for the first time surveys the situation on the art scene and straightaway from several points of view. Pivotal is the recognition of genre paintings by artists working in Bohemia during the period of Early and mainly High Baroque. However, firstly it was necessary to circumscribe the genre painting as such because this determination was fundamental in selecting the works that I labelled as genre. To this also relates the deeper introduction into the iconography and iconology of genre painting, rendered at the same time from the standpoint of the progress of interpretation of prominent experts in the discussed topic. The attention is paid to the references of genre painting in the commentaries of historiographers, painters, art theorists and further authors from Antiquity to the end of the 1 i h century as well. From them, among other things, it is clear that this category was not in the centre of their attention and their attitude to the genre painting was practically solely critical. The opposite attitude, however, is presented through the example of 1 i h and 18th centuries collecting...