"The Dialogues" Door / Dvere "Dialogy" - Mostecká street (Lesser Town of Prague) - Doorways of the World on Waymarking.com

Following details are taken from web pages of the doors' author - sculptor Petr Císarovský:

It was clear from the very beginning that my project would symbolize ties of two nations, the Czechs and the Dutch. The client and a co-owner of the house Mr. Boudewijn Jansen happens to be a Dutchman. The house No. 17 in Mostecká Street in Lesser Town of Prague, where the gate is installed, was built in Baroque style, while its foundations as well as most of its central build-up area are largely Romanesque. The idea to design my project on personalities of two learned men, J.A. Comenius and Erasmus of Rotterdam, crossed my mind almost immediately. As it is generally known, it was in Holland that Comenius spent last years of his life, passed away there and is buried in Naarden.

Erasmus has always been read and translated in the Czech Lands and his Praise of Folly ranks among those precious books that never collect dust, so to speak. Frontispiece of Comenius’ Didactics served as visual guide for the front of the gate; I created a paraphrase, as it were, while Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass influenced, to a certain extent, my literary and initiation inspiration for the back side of the door. While working on my firsts sketches I realized that “on the other side” everything would be the same and totally different at the same time, as expressed in Alices’s words.

The door is made of two leaves - Comenius is displayed on the left, eastern part, Erasmus on the western one. The world they share -the room- is joined together by closing and split by opening the door. Two scholars are sitting at the table with a globe (symbol of the world), an open book and envelope on it. Jan Amos Comenius and Erasmus of Rotterdam. The first is holding a quill in his right hand and is writing while his left hand is inviting the visitor inside. The latter is pointing to the envelope with the index of his left hand – the envelope may serve as a mail-box or a message box that can be opened.; his right hand is engaged in an oratory gesture. The two men are sitting in the room reminding us of a study. Behind them there is a door in Baroque Balustrade Comenius is inviting the visitor into.

On the faced wall are symbols of earth, art and science in two tiers; the lower one presents attributes of sculpture and painting, above them, in a sequence, there are symbols of poetry, science, theater ( divided into two masks, comic and tragic, thus framing our world - Theatrum Mundi). The central part depicts the symbols of the world, i.e. earth, water, air and fire. Behind the mask of laughter is a symbol of architecture and music. There is a coffered ceiling above the images with drawn-back curtains in the forefront. Above the door in the glassed-in arch, firmament is placed with the images of the sun, moon and nine stars. Now let’s have a look what’s going on at the feet of discussing scholars in the first plan. In the left corner of the floor among the books there is a cat lying in wait for a mouse which is hiding at the opposite leaf of the door by the left Erasmus’ foot. Unfolded parchment placed in the right bottom corner reads the name of the author and the date: 2007-2008.

Two-leaf door, frame made of oak wood is covered on the front with compact coat of bronze elaborated by above-described techniques. The back (inside) is covered with bronze sheets in some places only. Bronze is treated by classical smith technique using all available traditional and modern methods. The parts of relief are attached by riveting, welding, with bronze wire or brass bolts. Relief fixed to bottom wood corpus with bolts and screws in such a way so that joints wouldn’t interfere with the whole concept of the project striving for spiritual, not just technical representation of the content. Total weight of all bronze parts is 145.5 kg. All screws and nuts used in the door are made of brass and are mostly manually finished.