Ambiguous Heritage

Anotace: This paper deals with the phenomenon of mould-made religious sculptures, which were bourgeoning in Catholic milieus in the second half of the 19th and the early 20th centuries. The reported observations are based on research into artistic production in Catholic, or partly Catholic, German areas (such as Bavaria, Rhineland, Silesia) and the Habsburg Monarchy. The study makes use of publicity sources (advertisements, catalogues and price lists) and technological publications, as well as opinions of Catholic art critics and art theoreticians of the period. Extant mould-made Catholic sculptures represent an ambiguous heritage. They are generally assumed to be mass-produced, clichéd artifacts, and not usually considered to be works of art. Nonetheless, as relics of a bygone epoch that spanned over a century, they do deserve protection and preservation, or at least documentary work and research.