Karl Matzek
Encyclopedia
Karl George Matzek was an Austria
n religious
artist
of Czech
descent who is best noted for his panorama
s and mural
s of Biblical scenes in church buildings.
Matzek was a graduate of the Berlin
Academy of Arts.
In Harkanovci there is the parish church of Our Lady, built in 1799, restored and expanded in 1938. The entire interior was painted with frescoes and stained glass embedded in the windows.
The frescoes were painted by Karl Matzek in period since 1955 until 1957.
Matzek was sentenced to death by communist authorities, but was saved by influence of the parish priest don Mirko Gazivode. In a return he painted two murals in the church. Parishioners liked it and ordered all other frescoes in the church.
After that he migrated to Perth, Western Australia
, in 1958. He painted the Stations of the Cross
, a series of 14 pictures, in the "Como Catholic Church" in Western Australia
.
Matzek later moved to Canberra
, where there was a sizeable Serbian
political immigrant
population who first arrived in 1949, following World War II
. The Serbs built St George Serbian Orthodox Church
in 1966, after the Government
granted them a block of land at National Circuit, Forrest
, close to Parliament House
. In the following year, Matzek, then 77, was commissioned to decorate the interior of the church, and for the next 16 years until his death in 1983, he devoted himself to painting the side walls, ceiling and altar screen
, depicting episodes in Serbian history as well as Biblical scenes. Even though the Church itself is architecturally small in size, Matzek’s two 20-metre-long panoramas and murals have attracted visitors daily from all parts of Australia
and overseas.
He converted
to the Orthodox faith
as "George" during his work with the Church. Following a brief illness, Matzek died on April 16, 1983, and was buried at the St. Sava Monastery Cemetery.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
of Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
descent who is best noted for his panorama
Panoramic painting
Panoramic paintings are massive artworks that reveal a wide, all-encompassing view of a particular subject, often a landscape, military battle, or historical event. They became especially popular in the 19th Century in Europe and the United States, inciting opposition from writers of Romantic poetry...
s and mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s of Biblical scenes in church buildings.
Matzek was a graduate of the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
Academy of Arts.
In Harkanovci there is the parish church of Our Lady, built in 1799, restored and expanded in 1938. The entire interior was painted with frescoes and stained glass embedded in the windows.
The frescoes were painted by Karl Matzek in period since 1955 until 1957.
Matzek was sentenced to death by communist authorities, but was saved by influence of the parish priest don Mirko Gazivode. In a return he painted two murals in the church. Parishioners liked it and ordered all other frescoes in the church.
After that he migrated to Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, in 1958. He painted the Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
, a series of 14 pictures, in the "Como Catholic Church" in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
Matzek later moved to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, where there was a sizeable Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
political immigrant
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
population who first arrived in 1949, following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Serbs built St George Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
in 1966, after the Government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
granted them a block of land at National Circuit, Forrest
Forrest, Australian Capital Territory
Forrest is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Forrest is named after Sir John Forrest, an explorer, legislator, Federalist, premier of Western Australia, and one of the fathers of the Australian Constitution...
, close to Parliament House
Old Parliament House, Canberra
Old Parliament House, known formerly as the Provisional Parliament House, was the house of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988. The building began operation on 9 May 1927 as a temporary base for the Commonwealth Parliament after its relocation from Melbourne to the new capital, Canberra,...
. In the following year, Matzek, then 77, was commissioned to decorate the interior of the church, and for the next 16 years until his death in 1983, he devoted himself to painting the side walls, ceiling and altar screen
Rood screen
The rood screen is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron...
, depicting episodes in Serbian history as well as Biblical scenes. Even though the Church itself is architecturally small in size, Matzek’s two 20-metre-long panoramas and murals have attracted visitors daily from all parts of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and overseas.
He converted
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
to the Orthodox faith
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
as "George" during his work with the Church. Following a brief illness, Matzek died on April 16, 1983, and was buried at the St. Sava Monastery Cemetery.
External links
- http://www.vid.hr/images-dogadjaji/2010/6/harkanovci/zgsh.html
- http://www.pcug.org.au/~petkovic/canberraserbs/st_george_history_kazich.htm
- http://www.pcug.org.au/~petkovic/canberraserbs/st_george_construction.htm
- http://littlehills.com/travel_information/act.canberra.shtml