Staletá Praha 34, 1/2018, 73-102 | DOI: 10.56112/sp.2018.1.03

Rákosník firm in Karlín as a factory for architectural decoration. Function, production and importance of the sculptural-stucco firm since the era of Art Nouveau and historicism to the first half of the 20th century
Die Firma Rákosník in Karlín als eine Baudekorationsfabrik. Das Funktionieren, die Produktion und Bedeutung eines Bildhauer-Stuckateurbetriebs seit der Ära des Jugendstils und der Historismen bis Mitte des 20. Jahrhunderts

Petr Šámal

Uměleckoprůmyslové museum v Praze

The study presents the theme of plastic decoration of Prague buildings, based on detailed research of the Rákosník Sculptural-Stucco Firm in Prague Karlín, which used to be one of the largest firms of that type in Prague, with the longest period of production. Its history and development from the late 19th century to the first half of the following century was reconstructed, which fundamentally widened the fragmentary knowledge of certain pieces of work, pursued by this firm also in several other Prague quarters outside Karlín or often outside Prague. The study also concerns the circumstances of the operation of contemporary sculptural-stucco firms, the persons employed by the firm, prices of individual works, decoration technology, spectrum of the activities and their relation to the transformations of architectural styles.

Keywords: Karlín - Libeň - Vinohrady - Josefov - České Budějovice - architectural decoration - sculptural-stucco firm - stucco art - Art Nouveau architecture - Art Nouveau sculptural art - historicism architecture - façade - Lucerna Palace - Oldřich Rákosník - Václav Kuneš - Otakar Rákosník - Bohumil Štěrba

Grants and funding:

Studie vznikla za finanční podpory Ministerstva kultury v rámci institucionálního financování dlouhodobého koncepčního rozvoje výzkumné organizace Uměleckoprůmyslové museum v Praze, MK000023442.

Published: June 15, 2018