Prague is not only the capital but also the biggest and most important city in the Czech Republic. It is situated in the centre of Bohemia and also, it can be said, of Europe.
The settlement of the existing historic parts of Prague originally concentrated close to the embankments of the Vltava river, especially in the neighbourhood of old tracks, fords and localities, especially on the left bank, which afforded some protection against frequent floods.
Prague has always inspired writers, poets, musicians, painters, sculptors, architects, graphic artists, photographers, film producers, etc., to produce works, many of which rank among the peaks of Czech, European, and even world, culture.
The oldest graphic depiction of Prague is a xylograph in the schedel Chronicle, published in Nuremberg in 1493; some experts assign the work to the young Albrecht Dürer. Filip van den Bossche, Václav Hollar (1607-1677), Vincenc Morstadt (1802-1875), Samuel Prout and others rank among further well-known artists recording the appearance of old Prague.
About painting
This painting show a Vltava River and Certovka channel. Certovka channel takes water from river Vltava and after almost 900 m it onflows to Vltava River again.
The author 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.