Ex Bello Pax : oslava Waltera Leslieho v malbách na zámku v Novém Městě nad Metují

The study presents an in-depth analysis of the ceiling paintings of the castle in Nové Město nad Metují and attempts to reconstruct the original structure of the residence based on the current iconography of the paintings. The paintings in Nové Město represent an extraordinary example of the décor of a dynastic seat in its integrity and left largely untampered with in later periods. The opulent décor, which fill most of the rooms of the piano nobile, is the outcome of collaboration between Italian stucco artists and Prague artist Fabián Šebestián Václav Harovník (1635–1683). The paintings provide insight into the strategies of self-presentation adopted by the aristocracy that was newly establishing itself in the Czech lands after the Battle of the White Mountain and that significantly impacted the existing property structure in the land. The choice of themes for the paintings as a whole indicate the existence of a cohesive idea behind them aiming by every device to amplify the ruler's authority, further evidence of which is provided by the formal aspects of Harovník's paintings. The use of prints as sources for the paintings, as demonstrated in the study, does not indicate the artist approached the work as a compilation, but rather reflects a standard practice used in painting during the period under observation. Even more significant, however, is the fact that in Nové Město Harovník in places used prints as just a source of inspiration for the form and composition of the paintings but altered the content of the scenes. The given approaches testify to the existence of an elaborate and clear concept behind them, in all likelihood formulated in collaboration with a knowledgeable client or concept advisor.