DOI article:
Vybíral, Jindřich: Alfred Woltmann and the History of Contemporary Art
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73804#0015
14
own methodology and objective findings, was already es-
tablished in 1966 by Udo Kultermann.5 Yet we should also
recall Woltmann's contribution to the first international
congress of art historians, held in Vienna in September
1873, which should be regarded as another major step in
this process. It was there that Woltmann delivered one of
the main addresses, on the topic of administering muse-
um collections and conserving art objects.6
From the German standpoint, Woltmann's pedagog-
ic activity in Prague was exceptionally successful: 'He
could stimulate interest in art and artistic research more
powerfully than anyone before him in Prague; during
his Collegium Publicum, the hall could scarcely hold the
crowd of listeners who breathlessly followed the words
of the respected master.'7 In his four years in the capital
of Bohemia, Woltmann managed to publish four highly
regarded books and, along with his lecturing at the uni-
versity, he also investigated the artworks in Prague's col-
lections and more generally medieval Bohemian art. He
performed a thorough examination of the picture gal-
lery of Prague Castle, where despite many years of pil-
laging and removal of artworks to the imperial capital
Vienna, he found many works of major artistic value'.8
In turn, he published an analysis of 150 pictures classi-
fied into 'national' schools in the journal of the Vien-
nese monuments commission. This admirable research
activity, to be sure, had certain unfortunate consequenc-
es, since twenty-one of the most valuable works were
shipped to the Vienna Belvedere, sparking vociferous
disagreement from Czech patriots.9 Woltmann devoted
particular attention to the Madonna of the Rosary by Al-
brecht Durer, the altar painting from St. Vitus's Cathe-
5 U. Kultermann, Geschichte der Kunstgeschichte. Der Weg einer Wi-
ssenschaft, Wien-Dusseldorf 1966, pp. 251-262. O. Batschmann,
'Der Holbein-Streit: Eine Krise der Kunstgeschichte', Jahrbuch der
Berliner Museen, 38, 1996, pp. 87-100; P. Griener, 'Alfred Wolt-
mann and the Holbein dispute, 1863-1871', Studies in the history of
art, 60, 2001, pp. 211-225; see H. Locher, Kunstgeschichte als histo-
rische Theorie der Kunst 1750-1950, Munchen 2010, p. 48.
6 R. Eitelberger, 'Die Resultate des ersten internationalen kunst-
wissenschaftlichen Congresses in Wien', Mittheilungen der kaiserl.
kbnigl. Central-Commission zur Erforschung und Erhaltung der
Baudenkmale, 19, 1874, pp. 40-45. See H. Dilly, Kunstgeschichte
als Institution, Frankfurt am Main 1979, pp. 161-172.
7 'Prof. Dr. Alfred Woltmann', Montags-Revue aus Bbhmen, 16. 2.
1880, p. 12 (Er wuEte das Interesse fur Kunst und Kunstforschung
so machtig zu beleben, wie Niemand vor ihm in Prag; in seinem
Collegium publicum konnte der Saal kaum die Menge der Zu-
hórer fassen, die athemlos den Worten des verehrten Meisters
lauschten).
8 A. Woltmann, 'Die Gemaldesammlung in der Kaiserlichen Burg
zu Prag', Mittheilungen der kaiserl. kbnigl. Central-Commission
zur Erforschung und Erhaltung der Baudenkmale, Neue Folge, 3,
1877, pp. 25-50 (von erheblichem Kunstwerth).
9 'Novy kus kulturni cinnosti prof. Woltmanna', Narodnt listy, 3. 5.
1877 p. 3.
dral St. Luke Painting the Virgin by Jan Gossaert called
Mabuse, and the paintings by Peter Paul Rubens from
the Augustinian church of St. Thomas.10 Yet, as a pu-
pil and follower of Gustav Friedrich Waagen, he took
the greatest interest in the medieval book illumination
in Bohemian collections. In his study from the end of
1876, he presented the results of his examination of six
codices, among them the greatest treasures from the li-
brary of the National Museum: Mariale Arnesti from the
first Prague archbishop, Liber viaticus of Johannes Novi-
forensis (Jan ze Stfedy), and the renowned i3th-c. Latin
glossary Mater Verborum. These manuscripts contained
marginalia with certain Slavic names, alleged to offer
confirmation of their Czech provenience. Woltmann,
from his thoroughgoing research, nonetheless estab-
lished that these inscriptions were forgeries, thus remov-
ing from the history of Bohemian art several mythical
illuminators: specifically, Bohuss Lutomericensis (Bohus
z Litomefic), Sbisco de Trotina (Zbysek z Trotiny), Pe-
trus Brzuchaty and the painter Mirozlao (Miroslav). In
parallel, he used comparative stylistic analysis of letter-
ing and pictorial depictions, concentrating on physiog-
nomic details, bodily posture, folds of drapery, painter-
ly technique and colouring, to perform a partial re-dat-
ing of these manuscripts and eliminating the possibility
of their Bohemian origin.11 This study clearly indicates
how Woltmann imagined the methodological status of
his discipline as a 'science': striving toward an empirical
history of art grounded in the thorough study of writ-
ten sources and detailed examination of actual artworks,
where the connoiseurship relied on comparative stylistic
analysis.
This scholarly activity, which also included the ques-
tioning of the authenticity of the Kraluv Dvur and Zelena
Hora manuscripts - themselves later confirmed to be
forgeries of the early 19th c. - was perceived as another
manifestation of hostility toward the Czech nation, and
Woltmann became persona non grata among the Czechs.
His departure from a Prague he had increasingly come to
dislike, however, only became possible with his appoint-
ment to the university in Strasburg in the summer of 1878.
His most significant work, published after he left Prague,
consisted of the chapters on medieval painting in the first
10 A. Woltmann, 'Ein Gemalde von P. P. Rubens in Prag', Mitthei-
lungen der kaiserl. kbnigl. Central-Commission zur Erforschung
und Erhaltung der Baudenkmale, Neue Folge, 2, 1876, pp. 77-80;
idem, 'Durer und Mabuse in Prag', in idem, Aus vier Jahrhun-
derten niederlandisch-deutscher Kunstgeschichte, Berlin 1878, pp.
28-48. See: 'Concordia. Die offentlichen Vortrage, Prager Abend-
blatt, 28. 10. 1875, p. 3; 'Rubens der Prager Thomas-Kirche', Politik,
19.10. 1876, p. 4.
11 A. Woltmann, 'Zur Geschichte der bohmischen Miniaturma-
lerei', Repertorium fur Kunstwissenschaft, 2, 1879, pp. 1-24; idem,
'Die tschechischen Falschungen, ibidem, pp. 138-140. See J. Kvet,
'Falsa v iluminovanych rukopisech knihovny Narodniho musea
v Praze', Narodnt listy, 12. 6. 1927, p. 1.
own methodology and objective findings, was already es-
tablished in 1966 by Udo Kultermann.5 Yet we should also
recall Woltmann's contribution to the first international
congress of art historians, held in Vienna in September
1873, which should be regarded as another major step in
this process. It was there that Woltmann delivered one of
the main addresses, on the topic of administering muse-
um collections and conserving art objects.6
From the German standpoint, Woltmann's pedagog-
ic activity in Prague was exceptionally successful: 'He
could stimulate interest in art and artistic research more
powerfully than anyone before him in Prague; during
his Collegium Publicum, the hall could scarcely hold the
crowd of listeners who breathlessly followed the words
of the respected master.'7 In his four years in the capital
of Bohemia, Woltmann managed to publish four highly
regarded books and, along with his lecturing at the uni-
versity, he also investigated the artworks in Prague's col-
lections and more generally medieval Bohemian art. He
performed a thorough examination of the picture gal-
lery of Prague Castle, where despite many years of pil-
laging and removal of artworks to the imperial capital
Vienna, he found many works of major artistic value'.8
In turn, he published an analysis of 150 pictures classi-
fied into 'national' schools in the journal of the Vien-
nese monuments commission. This admirable research
activity, to be sure, had certain unfortunate consequenc-
es, since twenty-one of the most valuable works were
shipped to the Vienna Belvedere, sparking vociferous
disagreement from Czech patriots.9 Woltmann devoted
particular attention to the Madonna of the Rosary by Al-
brecht Durer, the altar painting from St. Vitus's Cathe-
5 U. Kultermann, Geschichte der Kunstgeschichte. Der Weg einer Wi-
ssenschaft, Wien-Dusseldorf 1966, pp. 251-262. O. Batschmann,
'Der Holbein-Streit: Eine Krise der Kunstgeschichte', Jahrbuch der
Berliner Museen, 38, 1996, pp. 87-100; P. Griener, 'Alfred Wolt-
mann and the Holbein dispute, 1863-1871', Studies in the history of
art, 60, 2001, pp. 211-225; see H. Locher, Kunstgeschichte als histo-
rische Theorie der Kunst 1750-1950, Munchen 2010, p. 48.
6 R. Eitelberger, 'Die Resultate des ersten internationalen kunst-
wissenschaftlichen Congresses in Wien', Mittheilungen der kaiserl.
kbnigl. Central-Commission zur Erforschung und Erhaltung der
Baudenkmale, 19, 1874, pp. 40-45. See H. Dilly, Kunstgeschichte
als Institution, Frankfurt am Main 1979, pp. 161-172.
7 'Prof. Dr. Alfred Woltmann', Montags-Revue aus Bbhmen, 16. 2.
1880, p. 12 (Er wuEte das Interesse fur Kunst und Kunstforschung
so machtig zu beleben, wie Niemand vor ihm in Prag; in seinem
Collegium publicum konnte der Saal kaum die Menge der Zu-
hórer fassen, die athemlos den Worten des verehrten Meisters
lauschten).
8 A. Woltmann, 'Die Gemaldesammlung in der Kaiserlichen Burg
zu Prag', Mittheilungen der kaiserl. kbnigl. Central-Commission
zur Erforschung und Erhaltung der Baudenkmale, Neue Folge, 3,
1877, pp. 25-50 (von erheblichem Kunstwerth).
9 'Novy kus kulturni cinnosti prof. Woltmanna', Narodnt listy, 3. 5.
1877 p. 3.
dral St. Luke Painting the Virgin by Jan Gossaert called
Mabuse, and the paintings by Peter Paul Rubens from
the Augustinian church of St. Thomas.10 Yet, as a pu-
pil and follower of Gustav Friedrich Waagen, he took
the greatest interest in the medieval book illumination
in Bohemian collections. In his study from the end of
1876, he presented the results of his examination of six
codices, among them the greatest treasures from the li-
brary of the National Museum: Mariale Arnesti from the
first Prague archbishop, Liber viaticus of Johannes Novi-
forensis (Jan ze Stfedy), and the renowned i3th-c. Latin
glossary Mater Verborum. These manuscripts contained
marginalia with certain Slavic names, alleged to offer
confirmation of their Czech provenience. Woltmann,
from his thoroughgoing research, nonetheless estab-
lished that these inscriptions were forgeries, thus remov-
ing from the history of Bohemian art several mythical
illuminators: specifically, Bohuss Lutomericensis (Bohus
z Litomefic), Sbisco de Trotina (Zbysek z Trotiny), Pe-
trus Brzuchaty and the painter Mirozlao (Miroslav). In
parallel, he used comparative stylistic analysis of letter-
ing and pictorial depictions, concentrating on physiog-
nomic details, bodily posture, folds of drapery, painter-
ly technique and colouring, to perform a partial re-dat-
ing of these manuscripts and eliminating the possibility
of their Bohemian origin.11 This study clearly indicates
how Woltmann imagined the methodological status of
his discipline as a 'science': striving toward an empirical
history of art grounded in the thorough study of writ-
ten sources and detailed examination of actual artworks,
where the connoiseurship relied on comparative stylistic
analysis.
This scholarly activity, which also included the ques-
tioning of the authenticity of the Kraluv Dvur and Zelena
Hora manuscripts - themselves later confirmed to be
forgeries of the early 19th c. - was perceived as another
manifestation of hostility toward the Czech nation, and
Woltmann became persona non grata among the Czechs.
His departure from a Prague he had increasingly come to
dislike, however, only became possible with his appoint-
ment to the university in Strasburg in the summer of 1878.
His most significant work, published after he left Prague,
consisted of the chapters on medieval painting in the first
10 A. Woltmann, 'Ein Gemalde von P. P. Rubens in Prag', Mitthei-
lungen der kaiserl. kbnigl. Central-Commission zur Erforschung
und Erhaltung der Baudenkmale, Neue Folge, 2, 1876, pp. 77-80;
idem, 'Durer und Mabuse in Prag', in idem, Aus vier Jahrhun-
derten niederlandisch-deutscher Kunstgeschichte, Berlin 1878, pp.
28-48. See: 'Concordia. Die offentlichen Vortrage, Prager Abend-
blatt, 28. 10. 1875, p. 3; 'Rubens der Prager Thomas-Kirche', Politik,
19.10. 1876, p. 4.
11 A. Woltmann, 'Zur Geschichte der bohmischen Miniaturma-
lerei', Repertorium fur Kunstwissenschaft, 2, 1879, pp. 1-24; idem,
'Die tschechischen Falschungen, ibidem, pp. 138-140. See J. Kvet,
'Falsa v iluminovanych rukopisech knihovny Narodniho musea
v Praze', Narodnt listy, 12. 6. 1927, p. 1.