Socha svatého Jana Nepomuckého (Dolní Čermná) Statue

Welcome to Lower Black. You have just stopped in a quiet part of this place, in a pleasant park treatment that serves as a green space in front of the building of the local elementary school. You're standing right in front of one of the most important cultural treasures of this town. Before your eyes is a statue of St. John Nepomuk, a monumental work that carries the soul of the past century. Before we go into a detailed viewing, let you just exhale and perceive the atmosphere of this place where history quietly cooperates with the daily life of school and park.

Look at this piece of art. The first one that's likely to charm you is the material. The whole statue is carved out of sandstone. This natural stone has a special warmth and texture that changes depending on how light hits it. Sandstone is a material that carries a trace of time; Its surface is slightly trimmed by quite nature, which gives the character a holy certain human, organic quality. This statue is not just a dead object, it is a living witness to history that has been standing here for over two centuries.

Now try to build the entire history of this work in your eyes. To understand why this statue is so special, we must return to 1771. That was the year this piece of art was finished. We live in a time when the art of Baroque has already begun to change, it has become finer, richer and more decorative. We call it the late baroque. In this period, artists were no longer only seeking monumental, but also constant movement, curves, and rich decoration, which is to keep the visitor's eye bound.

The author of this work is a man named Alexius Cyriak. It was not an unknown stranger, but a native from the nearby Jamberk. This is very important in this memory. It was these local masters who knew their country and their people who created works that became a solid part of the landscape. In 1771, Cyriak added not only his craftsmanship, but also his sense of aesthetics. Thanks to him, we have the opportunity today to admire the work that survived wars, changes in political regimes and centuries of storms.

Let's go together now, step by step, look at exactly what you see. Your eyes can start at the very foundation. The statue stands on solid, square ground. This geometric certainty provides the whole part stability. A low, prismatic base is then placed on this square base. This construction leads your view gradually up to the main part, which is the real peak of artistic expression.

Now look up to the pillar that forms the body of the whole statue. Here the baroque style manifests itself in all its beauty. Notice these crooked lines and decorative elements. Pillar is richly decorated with volutes, which are the elegant, spiral shapes that resemble rolled leaves or waves. Next to them, you'll see the rocajas. These are the typical, decorative shapes that look almost like mussels or organic plant patterns, very characteristic of the late Baroque. This whole pillar is further supplemented by floral garlands, which provide a whole lightness and elegance. And if you look very carefully, you can see the Latin inscription on the pillar, which at that time served as an important medium of information and eternal memory.

And then, in the midst of all this beautiful world, he stands. The statue is life-size, which means when you look at it, it stands before you like a real person. The Holy One is depicted in Canon's robe. Feel the weight and dignity of a substance that the artist could carve into a hard sandstone. He has a biret on his head, which is the typical, quadrilateral hat that was worn by the then spiritual leaders. In his hands he holds the crucifiks, the cross with the figure of Christ, which is a key symbol of his faith and sacrifice for this saint. His whole character radiates peace and a deep spiritual presence.

This man, Jan Nepomucký, is one of the most important figures associated with Czech countries. Even though we're looking at a beautiful statue today, it was a living symbol for people in the eighteenth century.

It is important to remember how much we appreciated this work in modern times. The statue wasn't just a forgotten piece of stone. In 1958 it was officially recognised as a protected cultural monument of the Czech Republic. This means that the state and society have realised its immense value. And in order for this sandstone not to fall in time, a total renovation was carried out in 2014. Thanks to this meticulous restoration, today you see the statue as well as it is. The work that the repairers had to do to preserve the details of volut and softness of the garment was crucial so that this gem could enjoy the next century.

An interesting thing for you is how this sandstone changes during the day. When you look at it in the noon sun, it seems clear and full of details. But when the evening starts to get dark, his shadows extend and the statue gets a more mysterious, even more serious character. It's fascinating how one material can tell such different stories depending on the light.

Now that you've gone all the way from the base to the saint himself, I suggest you stay in this park for a while. See how the statue fits into the surrounding green and how its presence affects the peace of this place. You may realize that even though the world around us is constantly changing, schools are being rebuilt and people are leaving, these stone witnesses to history remain here to remind us of our roots and the art of our ancestors.

Thank you for spending this moment with us and paying attention to this precious monument. We wish you a nice walk through the rest of the park and other interesting discoveries in our surroundings. Goodbye.