St. John the Baptist on Charles Bridge / Sv. Jan Krtitel na Karlove moste (Prague) - Statues of Religious Figures on Waymarking.com

Depicted statue of St. John the Baptist (Sv. Jan Krtitel) 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.

Statue of St. John the Baptist is the 6th one on the right looking from the Old Town Bridge Tower. The sandstone statue, work of Josef Max (1857), was donated by Jan Norbert Gemerich Neumann of Neuberk (1796–1859) and replaced damaged Baroque statue of The baptism of Christ. The statue of a blessing St. John the Baptist has a cross and shell reminding us of Christ’s baptism. Contrary to the other Baroque statues on the bridge, the statue of St. John the Baptist, dressed in sheep skin and a coat, seems too stiff and motionless; it was created in the Romantic style of Nazarethism of the first half of the 19th century, stressing sentimentality and elegant lines that were to enhance the appeal of religious motifs. On the Baroque pedestal, there is the CoA of the donator of the original sculptural group of "The baptism of Christ", Jan Bedrich Neumann of Neuberk, and his wife.

St. John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure in Christianity, Islam (known as Yahya ibn Zakariyya), the Bahá'í Faith, and Mandaeism. John is described as having the unique practice of baptism for the forgiveness of sins Most scholars agree that John baptized Jesus. Scholars generally believe Jesus was a follower or disciple of John and several New Testament accounts report that some of Jesus' early followers had previously been followers of John. John the Baptist is also mentioned by Jewish historian Josephus. Some scholars maintain that John was influenced by the semi-ascetic Essenes, who expected an apocalypse and practiced rituals corresponding strongly with baptism, although no direct evidence substantiates this.

According to the New Testament, John anticipated a messianic figure greater than himself, and Jesus was the one whose coming John foretold. Christians commonly refer to John as the precursor or forerunner of Jesus, since John announces Jesus' coming. John is also identified with the prophet Elijah. [wiki]