Fragments of 16th century sgraffito art that have survived rebuilding and restoration work to the richly decorated facade of House 28 on the east side of Kostelní námestí or Church Square at Prachatice, South Bohemia, Czechia / Czech Republic, include the head and shoulders of a bearded gentleman beneath a spray of foliage and a winged face looking down from above. With no. 29 next door, the house is traditionally linked to the early education of religious reformer and martyr Jan Hus (1369-1415).
Prachatice, South Bohemia, Czechia / Czech Republic: fragments of 16th century sgraffito art that have survived rebuilding and restoration work to the decorated facade of House 28 on the east side of Kostelní námestí or Church Square include the head and shoulders of a bearded gentleman beneath a spray of foliage and a winged face looking down from above. The house stands between the Lower or Pisek Gate and House 29, named Heydlův dům (Heydl House) after the Heydl family who owned it between 1559 and 1620. According to tradition, the properties are also associated with the Bohemian theologian, revolutionary reformer and martyr Jan Hus (1369-1415), born in the nearby town of Husinec. Before studying at Prague’s Charles University, he is said to have attended an elementary Latin school established here in the original Gothic building that was rebuilt around 1557-59 in Renaissance style. The crenellated façades of 28 and 29 are richly adorned with decorative sgraffito, the ancient artistic technique of scratching or cutting away parts of a surface layer of plaster, stucco or paint to expose a background of a different colour or texture. The other motifs include a naked female figure standing amid thistles as an allegory for truth or virtue, a seated hare chained by the neck, a mournful armoured knight, Samson wrestling a lion and Heracles battling centaurs. Prachatice, founded in the 13th century, was once a trading town that gained from its location at the end of the Golden Trail trade route from Bavaria. It became one of the richest towns in Bohemia thanks to a right to levy taxes on travelling merchants and a monopoly to store salt, essential in the medieval period for preserving food. The town today retains many ancient and historic buildings, especially around the Great Square.
Size: 2000px × 3008px
Location: Prachatice, South Bohemia, Czechia / Czech Republic.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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