PRAGUE,
Facades Art Nouveau,
Extravagant beauties
Art Nouveau in Prague does not have the haughty, monochrome arrogance and almost sad of the Parisian Haussmannian facades (which could only compete in the sophistication and exuberance of the facade sculptures, on days when the sun hits them).
Prague, shimmering Art Nouveau facades ...
South of "Petit Côté", left bank, rue Zborovska
With elegance and remarkable lightness, meticulousness in detail and harmony of polychromy, here it is declined by giving free rein to inventiveness.
It is found in all the districts of the great historical perimeter.
However, it seems that it is only a cladding ... of facade ; some work encountered or rare less maintained buildings in fact let appear in the breaches the brick walls under plaster or decorative stone.
Prague, baroque inspirations for Art Nouveau
But let's not sulk our pleasure.
For example when facades are inspired with talent baroque, or perhaps pragois rococo, especially when you get closer to the Old Town.
Old City
Ministry of Regional Development
The idea that we can form new art in its pre-Raphaelic purity, its smooth and curvaceous symbolism, its perfect serenity, also finds expression in a few other facades.
Prague, other exuberances ...
new art
Art Nouveau is also translated, almost in the opposite way, by rather modernist, almost tropical exuberances, like certain hotels in the Old Town, or a sort of palace with a dark facade highlighted with golden borders in Josefov.
Prague, the Art Nouveau splendours are also
in the Municipal House
The "temple" of Prague Art Nouveau seems to be the "Municipal House", in the Old Town on the edge of the New Town; to the point that since 2018, this remarkable building houses the historical frescoes of one of the most famous founders of this art, child of Prague, Alphonse Mucha.
The architects of some large cities sometimes dare to break things down between ancient and modern; if they have talent, the contrasts can be harmonious and perfectly successful. Example, the glass pyramid in the middle of the Louvre museum in Paris.
Here, a stone's throw from the Municipal House, next to a small market where some specialties are sold, throne an enormous skeletal metal structure, a sort of monstrous double plant knot, all splinters and aggressive dropouts. The result is absolutely unpleasant, like a nasty thought who would angrily want to interfere in a serene brain. Or a colossal Giacometti completely missed ...
So, goodbye to the prospect.
The Municipal House (built from 1905 to 1912) adjoins the famous and dark Powder tower, in the purest Gothic style.
First built in 1455, it became a powder depot, hence its name, in the 17th century, was destroyed in the 18th century, then rebuilt in 1876 in a neo-Gothic style.
Through his high decorated tympanum overhanging a vast marquise, the Municipal House does not fail to brilliantly recall its Parisian cousins, and in particular the Petit Palais.
Let's see what she contains testimonies of decoration refinement, in addition to one of the city's major concert halls, the Smetana Hall.
Hall d'accueil
une fresque historique de Mucha
et une autre
Prague: Art Nouveau towards Art Deco ??
... yes, but not too much
And sometimes, this Art Nouveau, which is one of the city's striking identities, seems, for the ignorant visitor, to be mastered by Art Deco, or elsewhere as here at the Municipal House explodes in marquises, stucco, gold coverings. and carmine of all magnificence, which are reminiscent of other achievements among the most beautiful of Art Deco. Already, the forms are stylized, geometrical, become more symmetrical.
At other times, the Art Deco claim is even fully accepted, as with the Great Library of Prague, in the Old Town.
poignée d'une porte de la Maison Municipale
un plafond Art Nouveau de la Maison Municipale, aux dessins déjà bien géométrisés
une fontaine dans la Maison Municipale, belles symétries et simplicité des lignes
un motif de façade plutôt Art Déco
Vielle Ville : motif de façade au symbolisme stylisé, qui semble déjà Art Déco
Grande Bibliothèque de Prague, cette fois purement Art Déco
Prague ... finally splendor
sgraffito
But the facades of Prague can also be another kind of party, alluring and storyteller (s), with "sgraffito" - the word straight from Italy (scratching, scratching) has been translated into French by deviating its meaning, into graffiti.
Originally, during the Renaissance, the technique consisted of applying to a smooth wall at least two coats of plaster or mortar. but of different colors (eg black and white).
Then, scraping in an organized way and ordered the superimposed layers, we create images by color contrast.
From the 16th century, in much of Europe, this art is very successful, but comes in an original way in Bohemia.
It was used in Prague in the 19th century during the deployment of Art Nouveau buildings, in particular to illustrate the rise of Czech patriotic sentiment.
A fire of fire, that requires looking up; this technique favors the facade walls located under the roofs which overhang them, and envelop them in their shadow, or in any case the upper part of these.
On the facades, the sgraffito soberly enhance the Art Nouveau style, or illustrate them most of them, or even elsewhere, are the major theme.
The result is often fascinating.