Sculptural group of Our Lady, St. Dominic and St. Thomas Aquinas on Charles Bridge / Sousoší Panny Marie, Sv. Dominika a Sv. Tomáše Akvinského na Karlove moste (Prague)
N 50° 05.181 E 014° 24.766
33U E 457990 N 5548396
Depicted Baroque sculptural group of Our Lady, St. Dominic and St. Thomas Aquinas (sousoší Panny Marie, Sv. Dominika a Sv. Tomáše Akvinského) is one of 31 historic statues (...or groups) decorating famous Gothic Charles Bridge (Karluv most) in Prague
Waymark Code: WMNGC8
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 03/11/2015
Views: 53
Depicted Baroque sculptural group of Our Lady, St. Dominic and St. Thomas Aquinas (sousoší Panny Marie, Sv. Dominika a Sv. Tomáše Akvinského) is one of 31 historic statues (...or groups) decorating famous Gothic Charles Bridge (Karluv most) in Prague' centre.
What makes Charles Bridge a top tourist attraction is the open air sculptural gallery which adorns it. It was created much later than the actual bridge construction, mostly in 1706-1714 in the expectation of the canonisation of John of Nepomuk (Jan Nepomucký). Despite the partial changes the gallery has undergone since its creation, it is still a great reflection of the history of the Czech lands - there are 31 statues and groups of statues in all on the bridge today with approximately 100 figures, among them also prime works of the great men of central European sculpture Matthias B. Braun and Ferdinand M. Brokoff. Since 1965 the precious originals of the statues have been gradually replaced by replicas. In extent and quality this bridge gallery has no equal in Europe.
Baroque sculptural group of Our Lady, St. Dominic and St. Thomas Aquinas is the 2nd one on the right looking from the Old Town Bridge Tower. The sandstone sculptural group, work of Matej Václav Jäckel (1708), was donated by the Convent of the Dominican Order in Prague. In the center, there is the Our Lady with infant Jesus above the earth with clouds. The Our Lady is giving prayer beads to St. Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order, kneeling on the left side of the pedestal and surrounded with his attributes (an abbatial infula, a head cover, and a dog with a burning torch in his mouth, the emblem of the order). On the right, there is the creator of the scholastic philosophy, St. Thomas Aquinas, with his attributes – a book, quill, chain with a shining Sun and angel holding a beehive. There are several Latin inscriptions on the statuary: For the glory of Jesus and Mary: 1708 (below the statue of the Our Lady), You wrote well (inside the book in Thomas’ hand), Mind the congregation that has been yours since the beginning (in the middle of the pedestal), To the teacher St. Thomas Aquinas: 1708 and I was appointed teacher and preacher of faith and truth (on the right of the pedestal), To the founder, St. Dominic: 1708 and We profess the crucified Christ, who disgraced all Jews (on the left of the pedestal) and Erected by the Preachers: 1708 (in the stylobate of the pedestal). The original of the statuary is now in the Lapidarium of the National Museum; the replica on the bridge was sculpted by V. Bartunek and S. Hanzl in 1958-1961.