Matthias of Arras

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Matthias of Arras
Copy of the portrait of Matthias in the St. Vitus Cathedral by Peter Parler.
Born	c. 1290 Arras, Kingdom of France (present-day France)
Died	1352 Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic)
Nationality	French
Field	Architecture
Movement	Gothic style
Works	St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague

Matthias of Arras (c.1290–1352), sometimes spelled as Matthew of Arras, Czech Matyáš z Arrasu) was a French architect, famed for his work on St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.

Matthias was born in Arras, but little else is known about his early life. In 1344 he was summoned to Prague from the papal court of Avignon by Charles IV to lead works on the newly founded Saint Vitus Cathedral. He is also widely recognized as the architect of Karlstein Castle, although this fact is not fully authenticated. His involvement in the design of the New Town of Prague is also not completely certain.

When Matthias died at Prague in 1352, Saint Vitus Cathedral was not yet completed. The role of its master mason and Charles' head architect fell to then twenty-three years old Peter Parler.

Literature

V. Mencl: Česká architektura doby lucemburské, Prag, 1948
České umění gotické, Prag, 1970
V. Mencl: Poklasická gotika jižní Francie a Švábska a její vztah ke gotice české, Zeitschrift Umění 19, 1971, Seite 217
A. Merhautová: Katedrála sv. Víta v Praze, Prag 1994

Persondata
Name	Arras, Matthias of
Alternative names
Short description	French architect
Date of birth	1290
Place of birth
Date of death	1352
Place of death

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