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Pohořelec

Svatý Jan Nepomucký s andĕly

Saint John of Nepomuk with angels

Nepomuk c. 1345 - Praha 1393
confessor of the queen of Bohemia, refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional. At the behest of King Wenceslaus of Bohemia he was thrown from the Charles Bridge in Prague and drowned. John of Nepomuk is patron saint of bridges
(Wikipedia)

Jan Antonín Quittainer
1752

Description

Sandstone statue of St. John of Nepomuk and two angels, one indicating silence by a finger over the lips, the other with a statuette of the Virgin Mary with Child.

Inscription(s)

CLaM DICIt

[in a sixpointed star]

ECCE
gLorIaM - sIspreCor - sILenDo
MeDeLa
sanCte
præDICant - Ioannes - MartIr
steLLæ

sIC Data MerCes
gLorIae

I.I.IN.HM fieri curavit

renovirt...

Clam dicit
secret shows
Gloriam praedicant stellae
proclaim the glory of the stars
Ecce silendo martir
Behold, the silence of the martyr
Sis precor medela sancte Ioannes
Whatever you are, ask earnestly, healing, St John
Sic data merces gloriae
So the price of fame

Five chronograms for 1752

I.I.In hoc monumento fieri curavit
I.I.In created this moment and cared

Annotation

The authorship is doubtful: some sources claim J. A. Quittainer to be the author, other mention T. Hochhaus. The statues were transferred to Pohořelec in 1846 from Hradčanského námĕstí.

Statues of Saint John of Nepomuk

The figure of Saint John of Nepomuk is often encountered in Central and Eastern Europe, including the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Poland and Lithuania. He is usually portrayed with

a halo of five stars, commemorating the stars that hovered over the Vltava River on the night of his murder, also is said that the five stars are supposed to symbolize the five letters of Latin word "tacet", which means "silent".
Other attributes:
a priestly dress
the palm of martyrs
a large crucifix, to which he is usually looking.

As additional figures there are often one of more little angels, respectively

indicating silence by a finger over the lips,
with a crucifix
with the bible.

There are several sites listing statues of Saint John of Nepomuk:

Saxa Loquuntur, Svatý Jan Nepomucký: Svatojánské sochy v českých a moravských krajských mĕstech, in Czech
Nepomuki, in Polish.
Treffpunkt Schoener-Reisen, Sankt Nepomuk, der Brückenheilige , in German.
Gerhard Eichinger, Nepomuk Sammlung [➝ Geschichte(n) ➝ Nepomuk Sammlung], in German.
Wedigo von Wedel, www.brueckenheilige.de, in German.

Sculptor

Jan Antonín Quittainer (1709-1765), czech sculptor

Sources & Information

Královská cesta, Hradčany Quarter.
Saxa Loquuntur, Sv. Jan Nepomucký: Svatojánské sochy v ceských a moravských krajských mestech.

Locatie (N 50°5'15" - E 14°23'20") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: czpr047; Photograph: 18 February 2011
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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