Sousoší svatého Jana Křtitele s anděly Statue

Sousoší svatého Jana Křtitele s anděly is a Baroque sandstone sculpture created by Ferdinand Maximilian Brokoff between 1714 and 1715. It is located in Prague 1 in Maltese Square opposite the church of St. John the Baptist and represents an important work of Prague's sculpture workshop of the Brokoff family.

The work was ordered by the Maltese Prior František Taufer z Rovína. The contract for its construction was concluded in March 1714 and the completion took place in 1715 as evidenced by the signature "OPUS IOANNIS BROKOFF Ao 1715." The youngest and most famous member of the studio, Ferdinand Maximilian Brokoff, is considered to be the overall concept and individual sculptures. At the time of the creation of the work, Europe was at the centre of the Baroque art period and the Habsburg Dynasty ruled in Czech countries.

This top baroque sculpture stands on a massive triangular pedestal and forms the dominant of the northern space of the Maltese Square. It depicts the figure of the patron saint of the order of the Johanites, St. John the Baptist, who holds the battalion in his right hand and has a lamb at his feet, pointing at him with his left finger. Under the figure of the saint there are three angels on the plinth with oval inscription cartouche on which is Latin, German and Czech proclamation from Matthew's Gospel: "Verily I tell you, among the sons of women there is no greater than John the Baptist." The lower part of the pedestal is decorated with reliefs that capture significant episodes of the life of a saint. On the front is depicted the beheading of St. John the Baptist, on the right side visit of the Virgin Mary and on the left side victory of the Christian fleet in the siege of the island of Malta, which is the seat of the Maltese Order.

Originally, the sculpture served as the centre of the fountain, which was removed in the 1980s. Since 1958, the work has been declared a cultural monument and is part of the Prague Heritage Reserve, which is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 1988, the sculpture went through complete restoration care in the performance of the academic sculptor Drahoří Štíčková.

One interesting element is the face of an angel with Czech inscription, which is considered a portrait of Ferdinand Maximilian Brokoff himself.

The sculpture represents an important example of baroque sculpture and is an important historical element of the Little Party. It is an object that is worth the attention of any interested person in the art and history of the Maltese Order.