Prague – Samuel Prout, 1833

PRAGUE – THE OLD TOWN SQUARE WITH TÝN CHURCH, 1833

“Prague”, lithograph by Samuel Prout, published in London in 1833 as part of his series Facsimiles of Sketches made in Flanders and Germany. Original hand colouring. Size (image): approx. 28.5 × 41 cm.

This atmospheric city view depicts the historic centre of Prague, looking from Malé náměstí (Little Square) towards Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square). On the left rises the Gothic tower of the Old Town Hall with its clock, while in the distance the two distinctive spires of Týn Church, the imposing Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn, rise above the surrounding buildings.

The street is lined on both sides with richly ornamented façades. Prout pays attention not only to the monumental architecture but also to everyday life in the Bohemian capital. Merchants, townspeople going about their business, a uniformed soldier and women carrying baskets and goods make their way along the uneven cobblestones. On the right is a shop displaying fabrics. Together, these details make the scene a vivid snapshot of nineteenth-century urban life.

Samuel Prout (1783–1852) was one of the foremost English architectural painters and watercolourists of the first half of the nineteenth century. He became widely celebrated for his picturesque views of historic European cities. In 1829, he was appointed Painter in Water-Colours in Ordinary to King George IV, a position he later also held under Queen Victoria.

During his travels across Europe, Prout recorded numerous historic towns and cities. Characteristic of his work is the combination of accurate architectural detail with a Romantic fascination for the atmosphere of old cities. His drawings formed the basis for a series of carefully executed lithographs, including this view of Prague.

Price: Euro 495,-