Fifteenth Panel. With the fifteenth panel of Alphonse Mucha's Slav Epic, you realize that you are not just looking at a painting with a sun-drenched, harmonious motif, but at a living chronicle of a nation. The scene dedicated to the Unity of Brethren in Moravia has an extraordinary, positive impact – quietly, yet powerfully. I sensed a deep breath of history and a humble faith in the people who chose to serve the truth proclaimed by Jan Hus, and the word of God.

Mucha captured the moment when the religious movement inspired by the teachings of Petr Chelčický moved to Ivančice, his birthplace. It was here that the Unity of Brethren began printing the first Bible entirely written in Czech – a work that was completed in the nearby town of Kralice nad Oslavou and entered history as the Kralice Bible. Looking at the group of brothers gathered around the first copies of this Bible, you feel as if you can hear the rustle of the paper and the beating hearts of those who believed that language was the foundation of identity.

A Moravian nobleman from Žerotín enters this sacred moment, arriving for an inspection. The students gather around him with respect and enthusiasm. However, another figure touched me the most – a boy who stands aside and reads the Bible to a blind old man. In his posture, I sensed humility and determination. I read that he was inspired by Mucha himself in his youth. It was here that I felt that the artist did not insert himself into the painting out of vanity, but out of a deep personal faith in the mission of education and the light of knowledge.

The symbolism of the swallows circling around the church tower filled me with a quiet sadness. These messengers of the future seemed to foreshadow the forced departure of the brothers after the Battle of White Mountain. In their wings, I felt unease, but also hope. The flight to more welcoming lands was not just an escape, but a continuation of the journey. In my opinion, Mucha expressed through this his belief that an idea cannot be silenced – it can be suppressed, but never destroyed.

The altered dome of the Ivančice church seemed to connect the past with the future. The painting had a calming effect, assuring me that Czech identity is not based only on victories, but also on perseverance in times of oppression. I felt pride, emotion, and gratitude. The fifteenth panel of the Slav Epic is for me a prayer for the nation, the language, the faith, and the national memory. You become a witness to the moment when a book was born that transcended its time and became a symbol of our national identity. And that, I believe, is the greatness of this work – it can awaken hearts and remind us who we truly are.

Also read: The Slav Epic by Alphonse Mucha - Panel Fourteen: The Defense of Siget Against the Turks by Nicholas Zrinski

Jan Vojtěch, Editor-in-Chief of General News