Petr Brandl

Petr Brandl, born on 24 October 1668, was a distinguished Czech painter and portraitist of the late Baroque period, hailing from the bilingual Kingdom of Bohemia. He was the sixth child in a Czech-German family, with his father, Michal Brandl, being a tailor of German descent, and his mother, Alžběta Hrbková, originating from a peasant family in the picturesque village of Přestanice in southern Bohemia.

Brandl's artistic journey began with an apprenticeship under Kristián Schröder from approximately 1683 to 1688. His works are characterized by a masterful use of chiaroscuro, heavy impasto, and dramatic, plastic figures that captivated audiences of his time. Despite his fame, Brandl's legacy faded into obscurity during the era of the Iron Curtain, only to be rediscovered in recent years.

Today, the National Gallery in Prague honors his contributions with an entire hall dedicated to his works, including the notable piece, 'Bust of an Apostle,' created before 1725. Brandl's influence extends beyond his lifetime, as he is a distant ancestor of contemporary artists such as Austrian painter Herbert Brandl and American-Swiss painter Mark Staff Brandl.