Jana Cermanová Prague sculpture exhibitions 1898 - 1916 A contribution to the theme of gallery sculpture presentation Dissertation synopsis Sculpture as an artistic discipline experienced a dynamic rise in the Czech lands at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. This followed the much admired example of France, where Charles Morice, referencing Rodin and his pupils, asserted the dominance of modern sculpture over painting in 1910. Thanks in large part to major art world figure and educator J. V. Myslbek, the Czech lands also saw the development of a highly ambitious group of sculptors poised to address a growing social demand for monumental works (particularly memorials) that recaptured the city's public space. Sculptors worked on architectural commissions for decorative sculptures and on orders for funerary objects, which guaranteed them an income and enabled them to pursue their own creative work. However, it was chiefly this "flood of monuments" that attracted public attention to sculptors and garnered them social prestige. Sculptors became more deeply involved in art events and played a major role in addressing contemporary art world issues. The public boom enjoyed by sculpture carried over into exhibition halls, where ...

Qu’est-ce que la représentation honorifique ? Cette simple question guide l’exploration de la pratique, née au IVe siècle et développée à l’époque hellénistique, qui consiste à offrir aux bienfaiteurs un monument à leur image. Fondée sur les décrets honorifiques et les sources archéologiques, l’analyse est d’abord matérielle. Sont ainsi examinées les contraintes et les attentes qui déterminent le choix du support de la représentation, de son matériau et de son emplacement. Dans le cas des statues, la forme de la base, les dimensions de l’œuvre et son mode de fixation sont étudiés. La vie des œuvres ne s’arrête cependant pas avec leur installation : plusieurs chapitres analysent leur entretien et, à rebours, leur mutilation, leur destruction et leur remploi. Une étude iconographique de la représentation honorifique est ensuite proposée. La description des œuvres conservées permet de brosser le portrait de la cité idéale que reflète la représentation honorifique, des stratèges vainqueurs aux femmes. Les marges du genre sont aussi explorées, à travers les représentations de héros et de souverains, mais aussi d’enfants. Ces études matérielle et iconographique sont le fondement de l’analyse historique. L’élucidation des origines de la représentation honorifique, qui remontent à l’époque archaïque, permet ainsi de dégager les spécificités de la représentation honorifique publique. Celle-ci sert ensuite de référence dans l’analyse des représentations honorifiques privées et commémoratives. Forte de cette exploration large, l’étude se clôt sur un examen des fonctions politiques et sociales de la représentation honorifique et de leur évolution à la basse époque hellénistique. / What does honorific representation stand for? Starting from this apparently simple question, the present study explores the many aspects of the habit, beginning in the 4th century B.C. and developing through the Hellenistic period, of granting the benefactors a representation of themselves. Based on the honorific decrees and the archaeological evidence, the analysis is primarily material. Thus, the expectations and constraints guiding the choice of a medium, of a material and of a place of erection are first examined. In the case of a statue, its size, the type of its base and the way it is fixed are thoroughly studied. But with their erection, the life of the representations just begins: a few chapters are devoted to their cleaning and also to their mutilation, destruction and reuse. Iconography is the second main topic of the study. Through a description of the remaining works of art, a portrait of the ideal city reflected by the honorific representation is drawn, from the victorious generals to the women. The limits of the genre are also explored, through a study of the representations of heroes and kings, but also of children. Both material and iconographic studies support the historical analysis. An introductory focus on the origins of the honorific representation allows a determination of the specific aspects of public representation. Keeping those in mind as a reference, the analysis turns then to the less studied private honorific and commemorative representations. This large scope exploration leads finally to an examination of the social and political role of the honorific representation and of its evolution through the late Hellenistic period.