A close-up of the Mucha stained glass window at St Vitus Cathedral
When I say wallpaper, I don’t mean wallpaper wallpaper. As in not on the walls of my home. This photo is the wallpaper or backdrop on my laptop. Many times a day I gaze at this photograph and still I can’t seem grasp all the glorious detail and exquisite color. I took this photo last fall on our trip to the Netherlands, Istanbul & Prague. This is the famous Mucha window in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, Czech Republic. It was designed by Alphonse Mucha, whom I personally believe to be one of the greatest Art Nouveau masters of all time.
Note: to see the photos in a larger format, simply click on the photo. When you’re done, hit the ‘back’ arrow on your computer to return to this post.
Here is the window in its entirety:
A full view of Mucha’s glorious tribute to Prague’s Jubilee
Simply stunning. Until our trip to Prague, the stained glass windows at St. Chapelle in Paris were my personal favorite. But now? I just can’t stop looking at this window. No matter how many times I see it, I can’t get enough.
The detail and color in each panel is simply stunning.
Are you a stained glass lover? Do you find yourself planning visits to old churches when you travel just to see the gorgeous art? Because if you don’t, you’re missing some of the finest historical masterpieces the world has to offer. If you have any favorites, please share them in the comment section. I’d love to see what inspires you and perhaps add a few new destinations to my bucket list.
Inside NanaBread's Head 
Love them both – there is something so special about how the light filters in through stained glass. I can look through the intricate details for ages. St Vitus Cathedral was so amazing – what a great shot.
Thanks, Anita. Two things I always look for when traveling – museums for the art and churches for the stained glass and art. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it!
Thanks for sharing that! It’s very beautiful.
Thanks, MoSop!
Lover of the Stained Glass – thanks for sharing! Have a Great Day!
Thank you, Renee, and happy anniversary!
Beautiful! Stained glass artists are an amazingly talented group and they are able to tell such wonderful stories with their work.
I agree, Paula. There’s so much emotion in those window panes. I love that.
That is beautiful, indeed. If you like that type of color palette, you might like the Pre-Raphaelite artists, too. Such as Waterhouse, for instance.
Do an “image search” for “pre-raphaelite” and enjoy the colors :)
You’re right, Teresa. The pre-raphaelites do remind me of the Mucha window panels. So colorful and magnificent. I’m pretty sure I saw a few of the paintings that popped up on my Google image search when we were at the Louve and Orsay in Paris. Absolutely lovely.
Such rich colors, indeed. :)
Beautiful!
PS: I picked your comment on yesterday’s post as my favorite.
Yes!!!
Stained glass doesn’t normally “do it” for me, but your love for this art is contagious!! My true love is from the impressionist world. I had the awesome opportunity once to stand in front of one of Monet’s huge water lily landscapes in the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg. Such a pity that real art is so expensive…can you imagine being able to hang some of it on our walls? One of my goals for my home is to put up prints that stir my kids imagination and help give them an appreciation of good art.
I feel the same way, Sarah. As a child, we had a board game called “Masterpiece”. I loved that game. It had postcards of all the great masterworks, and the game was to be an art dealer. I wish I still had that game, since I’ve since been able to stand in front of some of those same masterpieces as an adult. The first time I saw one in person, it actually brought tears to my eyes. I love that you want to share that with your kids.
I know that game! I don’t know if I ever played it, but I’m going to have to find it again!! Thanks for the reminder :)
I hope you find it. I would love to find one in good condition. It was one of my childhood favorites.
Gorgeous pictures, Jeanne! I personally love the South Rose Window in Notre Dame, Paris. So delicate, it looks like lace. Add that to the fact that it’s over 750 years old and one can only stare in complete awe.
I love it when history and art come together. It’s awe-inspiring. Thanks, Claudia!
Beautiful piece! I adore stained glass with a jewel-toned color palette. The skill and vision required to create such works of art is so awe inspiring to me. Amazing.
Mind blown – and not just because I’m Czech. Phenomenal.
I so adore stained glass, it’s unreal. My grandmother was actually a stained glass artist and made gorgeous lampshades. In terms of churches, we went to visit the Cathedral at Chartres in 2006 and it was just breathtaking.
That’s so cool that your grandmother was a stained glass artist. The Complete Package’s grandmother also dabbled in stained glass along with many other mediums. If I remember correctly, she taught art at the Philbrook Art Museum in Tulsa for years. My mother took a few stained glass classes and loved it, as well. Thanks for the tip on the Cathedral at Chartres, Kat. It’s going onto my research list!
I don’t recall any stunning stained glass (although there was probably some), but the churches in Regensburg, Germany (not far from Nurnberg, northeast of Munich) were amazing. I lived there for a summer, and the Dom (cathedral) was just incredible. The architecture stunned me, especially considering it was done without “modern technology.” And since it’s a smaller city, it wasn’t overrun with tourists (I was a student, not a tourist). The Thurn und Taxis castle was also pretty out of sight.
Prag remains one of my favorite cities ever, although since we were only there over a weekend, I didn’t get the best touring ever. When (note – NOT “if”) I go back, I will make sure that this is on my “to do” list.
Hey – we should plan a trip together (a girl can dream, right?)!
I’d love to go back to Prague! I loved it. If I get a chance to return, I think I’d like to do it in the winter. Now that I’ve seen photos of Prague covered in snow, I’m dying to see it in person. How do you feel about cold weather? ;-)