St Gregory

Theodoric of Prague (Mistr Theodorik) was court painter to Emperor Charles IV and the leading artist of the Bohemian school, which represented one of the most sophisticated centers of Gothic art outside Italy and France. This panel of St Gregory from the National Gallery Prague likely relates to Theodoric's celebrated decoration of the Chapel of the Holy Cross at Karlstejn Castle, where over one hundred monumental saint panels created an overwhelming sacred environment. Charles IV's Prague was a major European capital whose artistic patronage rivaled Paris and the Italian courts.

Painted in tempera on panel, Theodoric's style is immediately recognizable for its boldly modeled, almost sculptural figures with broad faces and heavy draperies that fill the picture plane. His volumetric approach to form and rich, saturated colors distinguish the Bohemian school from contemporary Italian Gothic painting.