Church of St Joseph in the Lesser Town by Václav Jansa - Prague, Czech Republic
Posted by: 
ToRo61
N 50° 05.284 E 014° 24.332
33U E 457474 N 5548591
This baroque monastery church with its monumental Dutch-style facade was completed for the Carmelite Order in 1702.
Waymark Code: WM16MNA
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 08/28/2022
Views: 7
The church’s interior is one of the richest in Prague, not only architectonically, but also because of its furnishings, paintings, sculptures, and other works of art. Masses here are also conducted in French.
Built at the behest of Carmelite sisters and completed in 1692, surprisingly not much is known about this mysterious little church situated a stone's throw from the Charles Bridge in charming Mala Strana, or Lesser Town. Experts are unable to agree on the architect responsible for this little gem, which is rather unusual in Prague where many famous architects have showcased their talent over the centuries. Far more is known about the stunning art found at the church, including the facade statues by the artist Matej Václav Jäckel, who is also famous for his contribution of several statues on nearby Charles Bridge, as well as numerous decorative contributions to various sites in Ceský Krumlov, Kutná Hora, and other places both in Prague and elsewhere across the Bohemian region. The nave of the church is a rounded, slightly oval in shape, rotunda with a dome supported by 12 pillars surmounted by beautiful capitals, which can come as a surprise given the squared exterior shape of the church, and the side altars are set into shallow recesses around the sides of the rotunda. The interior boasts a main altar, an altar of St. Theresa of Avila, and an altar of St. Thecla, the first female martyr of the Christian church, all dating from around 1695- 1699, the same time period as Jäckel's facade statues. The striking picture of St. Theresa, as well the picture of the Holy Family above the main altar are the work of Petr Brandl. Other notable side altars include the later altars of St. Anne and of the Bohemian St. John of Nepomuk, which are by an unknown artist from 1735. The gilded pulpit is from the end of the 18th century. This intimate church is home to the francophone Roman Catholics in Prague, as well as the Carmelite sisters who first built the church.
The author of this painting is Václav Jansa. You can find this painting in book 'Starou Prahou Václava Jansy' (
visit link) .
Vaclav Jansa (October 22, 1859 Slatinice - June 29, 1913 Cernošice) (
visit link) Czech landscape artist and illustrator, best known for these views, originally painted in water-colour.
Jansa was apprenticed to buyers, but later he devoted himself to his hobby of drawing and painting. Vaclav Jansa traveled a lot and took to painting landscapes. He painted mostly southern Bohemia and Giant Mountains. Since 1893 was redeveloped historic districts of Prague, Prague ghetto and parts of the Old and New Town. In this time Jansa painted cca 150 colored watercolors documenting disappearing part of the city.