Prague Church of Our Lady before Tyn

Calotype. Calotype or talbotype is an early photographic process introduced in 1841 by William Henry Fox Talbot,[1] using paper[2] coated with silver... more

by Guido Montanes Castillo

Title

Prague Church of Our Lady before Tyn

Artist

Guido Montanes Castillo

Medium

Photograph

Description

Calotype. Calotype or talbotype is an early photographic process introduced in 1841 by William Henry Fox Talbot,[1] using paper[2] coated with silver iodide. The term calotype comes from the Greek καλός (kalos), "beautiful", and τύπος (tupos), "impression".
Church of Our Lady before T�n.
The Church of Mother of God in front of T�n (in Czech Kostel Matky Bo�� před T�nem, also T�nsk� chr�m (T�n Church) or just T�n), often translated as Church of Our Lady in front of T�n, is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague, Czech Republic, and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's towers are 80 m high and topped by four small spires.
In the 11th century, this area was occupied by a Romanesque church, which was built there for foreign merchants coming to the near T�n Courtyard.[1] Later it was replaced by an early Gothic Church of Our Lady in front of T�n in 1256. Construction of the present church began in the 14th century in the late Gothic style under the influence of Matthias of Arras and later Peter Parler. By the beginning of the 15th century, construction was almost complete; only the towers, the gable and roof were missing. The church was controlled by Hussites for some time, including John of Rokycan, future archbishop of Prague, who became the church's vicar in 1427.
The roof was completed in the 1450s, while the gable and northern tower were completed shortly thereafter during the reign of George of Poděbrady. His sculpture was placed on the gable, below a huge golden chalice, the symbol of the Hussites. The southern tower was not completed until 1511, under Matěj Rejsek. In 1626, after the Battle of White Mountain, the sculptures of George of Podebrady and the chalice were removed and replaced by a sculpture of the Virgin Mary, with a giant halo made from by melting down the chalice. In 1679 the church was struck by lightning, and the subsequent fire heavily damaged the old vault, which was later replaced by a lower baroque vault.
Renovation works carried out in 1876�1895 were later reversed during extensive exterior renovation works in the years 1973�1995. Interior renovation is still in progress.
Design[edit]



Tycho Brahe's grave, new tomb stone from 1901
The northern portal is a wonderful example of Gothic sculpture from the Parler workshop, with a relief depicting the Crucifixion. The main entrance is located on the church's western face, through a narrow passage between the houses in front of the church.
The early baroque altarpiece has paintings by Karel �kr�ta from around 1649. The oldest pipe organ in Prague stands inside this church. The organ was built in 1673 by Heinrich Mundt and is one of the most representative 17th-century organs in Europe.

Uploaded

December 10th, 2013