Emperor Ferdinand I and the Fate of the Ruler's Portrait Series in the Old Royal Palace at the Prague Castle
2015
Abstract
Correspondence between Emperor Ferdinand I and Archduke Ferdinand II documents not only a loving relationship between father and son, but also their extraordinary personal engagement in construction activities at the Prague Castle. A case in point is the planned realisation of the rulers' cycle in Vladislav Hall and its fate during the reign of Emperor Ferdinand I.
A lack of money, slow progress of the construction work and a gradual transfer of its site from Vladislav Hall to the façade of the New Land Registry and then to the Assembly Hall sealed the fate of this project. Despite several attempts the plan was not executed.