Count Bedřich Silva-Tarouca (; 11 December 1816,

Čechy pod Kosířem Čechy may refer to: Place names ; Czech Republic: * ''Čechy'', the Czech name for Bohemia ** ''Střední Čechy'', the Central Bohemian Region * Čechy (Přerov District), a village and municipality (obec) in Přerov District, Olomouc Region * ...

– 23 June 1881,

Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...

) was a Czech

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' refe ...

; descended from a noble Moravian family of Portuguese ancestry. In additional to his priestly duties, he was a journalist and a patron of the arts; involved in collecting, conservation and restoration.

Biography

His great-grandfather was , a Portuguese nobleman who was a close friend and unofficial advisor to the Empress

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...

. He was the third son of , who was originally devoted to a military career, but resigned to join the landed gentry. From 1834 to 1838, he studied philosophy, then spent a year studying

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

at Palacký University in

Olomouc Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region. Located on the Morava (rive ...

. From 1841 to 1843, he continued his studies in Brno. In 1847, he renounced his inheritance in favor of his younger brother, Augustus (1818-1872). During these years, from 1835 to 1838, he also took courses in landscape painting from Professor Antonín Mánes at the

Academy of Fine Arts, Prague The Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (; AVU) is an art college in Prague, Czech Republic. Founded in 1799, it is the oldest art college in the country. The school offers twelve master's degree programs and one doctoral program. History Starting ...

and became acquainted with

Josef Mánes Josef Mánes (12 May 1820, Prague – 9 December 1871, Prague) was a Czech painter. Life He came from a family of painters, which included his father Antonín, his uncle and Director of the Prague Art Academy Václav, his brother Quido and ...

, who was related to one of his mother's friends. While in Brno, he made friends with

František Sušil František Sušil (14 June 1804 in Rousínov, Moravia - 31 May 1868 in Bystřice pod Hostýnem) was a Moravian Roman Catholic priest most noted for his published collection of traditional Moravian folk music, ''Moravské národní písně'', whi ...

, also a Catholic priest, who was making a collection of Moravian folk music.

Art collector & patron

As a result of these cultural influences, he devoted himself to promoting the local arts, making significant donations to the collection of the Brno Museum. He made an especially large donation in 1859, pursuant to his departure to Northern Italy, where he had volunteered to serve as a

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

in the Austrian military hospitals during the Italian War. The donations included coins, engravings and old prints as well as paintings. He was an active participant in the Czech and Moravian Revival Society, as well as several educational and patriotic organizations, and was a major supporter of , a scientific society; now part of the

Czech Academy of Sciences The Czech Academy of Sciences (abbr. CAS, , abbr. AV ČR) was established in 1992 by the Czech National Council as the Czech successor of the former Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and its tradition goes back to the Royal Bohemian Society of Sc ...

, engaged primarily in researching Moravian history. The Taroucov collection at the

Moravian Gallery in Brno The Moravian Gallery in Brno () is the second largest art museum in the Czech Republic, established in 1961 by the merging of two older institutions. It is in five buildings: Pražák Palace, Governor's Palace, Museum of Applied Arts, Jurkovič ...

includes works by Josef Mánes, Antonín Mánes,

Václav Mánes Václav Mánes (c. 1793 – 31 January 1858) was a Czech painter. He was the brother of Antonín Mánes and uncle of Quido and Josef Mánes and Amalie Mánesová, all of whom were also painters. Little is known of him; even the date of his bir ...

Josef Vojtěch Hellich Josef Vojtěch Hellich (17 April 1807 – 22 January 1880) was a Czech painter and archaeologist known mainly for religious works and historical scenes. Biography Hellich was born in Choltice. He attended the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, whe ...

Antonín Chittussi Antonín Chittussi (1 December 1847 in Ronov nad Doubravou – 1 May 1891, Prague) was a Czech Impressionism, Impressionist landscape and cityscape painter. Early life Chittussi was born to an Italian father from a merchant family who lived in ...

and

Joseph Bergler Joseph Bergler the Younger (1 May 1753 – 25 June 1829) was a painter, author of numerous etchings, and director of the Prague Academy. Life Bergler was born in Salzburg, the son of sculptor Joseph Bergler the Elder (1718–1788) who instructe ...

, as well as some of his own paintings.

Sources

Václav Petera: Géniové církve a vlasti (Geniuses of the Church and Fatherland)

External links

Silva-Tarouca
in the {{DEFAULTSORT:Silva-Tarouca, Bedrich 1816 births 1881 deaths Czech Roman Catholic priests Czech art collectors Czech nobility People from Prostějov District