The capital city of the Czech Republic, Prague, has a unique characteristic. There is a significant number of architectural sculptures and statues on architecturally important buildings, especially in the center of Prague, that have a distinctly erotic character. These sculptures and statues are part of the architecture from various historical periods, particularly from the 19th and 20th centuries. This project was brought to me by the late PhDr. Jan Nepomuk Assmann, who had been gradually compiling it for many years. J. N. Assmann worked as a curator and research associate for the Prague City Gallery for approximately 30 years.

He contacted me after a joint project, where he saw my artistic work, and we began collaborating. We also agreed to work on an interesting project that we jointly named "Prague Erotic," or "Praga Erotica." Unfortunately, Dr. J. N. Assmann passed away unexpectedly after three years of our friendship, and the project remained in its early stages, with only a vision and a basic framework established. I decided to continue this project in his memory, due to its very interesting concept and its potential. While the project is based on a photographic artistic approach, the main product is comprehensive, expert information not only about the sculptures and their authors, but also about many other aspects relevant to this project, which has an indirect erotic character. The eroticism here represents the aesthetics, beauty, and timeless perfection of the human body.

The themes mentioned above were to be explored through the lens of classic black and white artistic photography, which was intended to be dreamily colorized. The images of the erotic sculptures, or series of individual architectural buildings where these allegorical sculptures and statues are featured, were to include not only basic shots (overall, half-shot, and detail of the sculpture itself), but also many other shots related to the building. Furthermore, based on consultations with experts and historians from the Prague City Gallery, a great deal of documentation related to the object was to be compiled, including information about the project's author, the sculptor, the location, historical facts, and many other details. Unfortunately, this documentation was never used to its full extent. Sadly, everything remains in a state of limbo, as the copyright for this entire project has been subject to misuse and legal disputes.

In any case, pay closer attention when you are simply wandering around Prague, especially in its charming and intimate historical districts. Dr. Assmann was right that you will not find such a large number of allegorical and erotic sculptures in public spaces anywhere else in Europe. The dynamism of the figures set against the backdrop of various architectural styles is truly remarkable. Finally, I would like to add that we wanted, and still want, to dedicate this project to the late Dr. Jan Nepomuk Assmann, the spiritual father of this project. I am also convinced that the photographs and the materials and information collected during the time when J. N. Assmann was with us will have significant value for future generations, both in terms of its artistic and technological execution, when the project is finally realized.

Jan Vojtěch, Editor-in-Chief - General News

This cultural contribution follows the article: "A Few Little-Known Gems from Our Beautiful, Golden Prague." More here