In the heart of Europe. Slovakia still seems very distant to many people, despite the fact that it has been a member of the European Union since May, 1st 2004 and that its capital, Bratislava, is only sixty kilometres from Vienna, while Poland and the Ukraine are among the country's neighbours.
A golden age. In the 15th century, Slovakia was a province of the Kingdom of Hungary, part of the powerful Habsburg Empire. It enjoyed unprecedented prosperity, linked to the rapid development of trading establishments and of precious metal mining. Under pressure from the Ottoman Empire to the east of the kingdom of Hungary, the seat of power moved to Pressburg, now Bratislava, and the town became the capital and the place of royal coronations. Thanks to the favourable economic and political situation, art in Slovakia reached its historical zenith, with the production of original creative works of outstanding quality.
The art of altarpieces. At the centre of the exhibition, the visitor discovers one of the most representative examples of this art, in the elements of sculpted, carved and painted altarpieces. These pieces, most of them still kept in Slovakian churches, are quite striking for their complex architectural structures, the opulence of their decoration and their exceptional dimensions. The painted sculptures and panels from these altarpieces are quite often larger than life. The scale of the Virgin of the Annunciation, from Velký Biel and of the relief of the Nativity (Slovenská národná Galéria) is surprisingly different from the usual proportions of works of this type. The excellent state of conservation of these pieces allows one to see the intensity of the expressions and the subtle treatment of the figures. Most of the works are enhanced by a shimmering polychromy of lustrous gold and red.
At the crossroads of varied influences. As a centre of international trade, Slovakia in the 15th century was home to a cosmopolitan population, inckuding German traders, Hungarian nobility and slavophon farmers. While the art of this region owes much to the works and to the artists of the neighbouring germanic countries, and particularly to Vienna, some more local artists produced original works which have been particulary well conserved. The exhibition focuses on Master Paul, who was active in Levoca in the east of the country and worked in contact with the production of Veit Stoss, whose workshop was in Krakow. Master Paul's works certain idealism from Stoss, but are distinguished by a new sense of movement and monumentality, as seen in the imposing Crucifixion of Kežmarok.
Intense artistic activity. Goldsmithing and manuscripts also give us an impression of the intensity and the range of the artistic activity. Monstrances, chalices and illuminated charters of impressive dimensions, exuberance and decorative quality reflect the economic and cultural wealth of the country. A good example is the astonishing Antiphonaire by Johannes Han, a manuscript dating from 1487-1488, in which different styles are seen together.
The exhibition Out of Gold and Fire is the first overall view of such importance of the mediaeval period in Slovakia, and it honours an artistic milieu of the first order in 15th century Europe.
In counterpoint to the exhibition *France 1500, entre Moyen Âge et Renaissance (Between Middle Ages and Renaissance), at the Galeries nationales, Grand Palais, the visitor can discover a region that is still little known where at the same period, several diverse influences gave
rise to a particular artistic expression.
