Emperor Rudolf II Collector & Patron of the Arts & Sciences

Under Rudolf II Prague again became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Following the example of his Habsburg ancestors, he assembled an exceptional collection of works of art for which the imperial palace on the Hradčany was adapted. He patronised painters, sculptors, goldsmiths who flocked to Prague, and also men of learning including Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler. For a brief period Prague became the most important cultural centre in Europe.

Caroline Cannon-Brookes, art historian, was trained at the Courtauld and teaches at the University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education. She has led many tours to the Czech Republic to which she is a regular visitor.

Image of Rudolf II by Heintz. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna