Lot 71

Bohuslav Schnirch (1845 - 1901) AN EQUESTRIAN STATUE OF GEORGE OF PODĚBRADY

It is a scale model of the equestrian statue of Jiří of Poděbrady by the prominent Czech sculptor and active falconer Bohuslav Schnirch, the author of the decoration of the National Theatre, Rudolfinum or the National Museum and the monuments to Jan Žižka, Jan Palacký and Charles IV. Similarly, the famous statue of Jiří of Poděbrady with elements of naturalism depicts him shaking hands with Matyáš Korvín after the Battle of Vilémov. The monument standing on the main square in Poděbrady, also twice the size of his life, is considered the supreme work of Czech monumental sculpture of the 19th century. The monument itself was unveiled in 1896 amid great celebrations. The offered statue, unlike the copper monument, is made of patinated bronze and stands on a base of Slivenec marble. It is signed on the plaque by the author and manufacturer, the renowned bronze maker and designer Franta Anýž.