Ferdinand Maximilian Brokoff. A lonely genius who changed the face of Prague
His name became a synonym for the period of the Czech High Baroque. Ferdinand Maximilian Brokoff’s most famous work is the set of nine sculptures on the Charles Bridge. Although he lived to be only 42 years old, he left behind a respectable legacy. Throughout Bohemia, but also in Poland and Austria, he created dozens of sculptures that could be boldly compared to those from Rome or Paris. However, his main place of work remained Prague, which imprinted its Baroque face, which it has largely retained to this day.
The Brokoff artistic dynasty was founded by his father Jan, who was the descendant of a poor shoemaker. He escaped religious persecution from his native Slovakia and made a living as a carver and sculptor. He was also the one who created the first two sculptures that adorned the railings of the Charles Bridge.
More talented than his father
Ferdinand was born on September 12, 1688, and even as a boy he showed that he was much more talented than his father. When he returned from his studies abroad, Jan left the artistic management of the family workshop to him and, as a capable manager, devoted himself to management. Ferdinand’s older brother Michal also belonged to the family clan, so the Brokoff brand quickly became a household name. However, the men did not live together for a long time.
When Ferdinand was 30 years old, his father died and after three years his brother Michal also left him for good. Both succumbed to silicosis, a lung disease caused by long-term inhalation of fine dust. Ferdinand was no longer free from solitude. He never married and spent all his time locked in the studio, where he tried to banish sadness from the creation of one monumental work after another. As if he realized that even his time was running out and he had to make the most of his talent.
He worked on the plague column on Hradčanské náměstí for several years, but he did not have time to finish it. He died on March 8, 1731, also as a result of silicosis.