The Muzeum v Třeboni is a small museum tucked full of antiquities from days gone by in the quiet city of Trebon. It has many treasures that are not contained in the immense collections at the nearby Rzmberk Castle. We originally went here, on a tip from our dear hosts who live in Trebon, to see the Vánoce trees (Christmas trees) decorated by local schools and other organizations. They were lovely and we could vote on the best one....but what really caught our attention was a series of hand-painted and calligraphed pictures in the back hallway. The Old English script of German texts describes each picture. This one dates from 1808:
Another one shows the fashionable garb as the men dance about...
But we kept asking ourselves why are there multiple bullet holes in every picture, often centered around the focal point or 'target' of the beautiful paintings? Was it from some peasant revolt? The German troops? Or.....??
Well, we soon learned that these were made specifically for sharpshooter target practice in the 18th and 19th centuries! We were intrigued yet horrified at the same time....target practicing with art (
horribilis as we say in Latin). We are sharing these with you so you can enjoy the great art and wonder in amazement at previous methods of enhancing one's aim.
We think the intended target was the top of the sculpture:
Here's one with hunters!
A fox hunt...
A moonlit night in 1797 around the castle (the target is quite obvious here):
A light (licht) and sunny day in the Bohemian woods (looks like some practicing needs to be done!).
A church convention....
... and then one that resembled the Hluboka Castle we visited on Christmas Day. While difficult to translate from Old German, this is apparently addressed to Josef Adolf of the Schwarzenberg Family from the Princes of Lichenstein, dated 1857 (during the time period in which the Schwarzenbergs owned Hluboka Castle and used it as a hunting lodge in the fall season). The Lichtensteins ruled parts of Bohemia and Moravia years ago (remember the Lichtenstein castles we saw at Lednice and Valtice?). Fortunately the sharpshooters did not get the castle. One of the last owners of the Hluboka Castle married a Lichenstein Princess and, upon their travels to Britain, decided to redo the castle to resemble Windsor Castle.
Then this lovely promenade mentioning that God gives much happiness and love...
Then here's one of Ceske Krumlov Castle, which is west of Ceske Budejovice. This was another one of the Rzmberk's Castle (a lovely one....see our earlier posting of it).
This may be of the Angel descending on 5 December for Angels and Devils Day (St. Nicholas Day)?
And then the Bishop drawing a ring of fire around himself while the Devil dances merrily nearby:
A painting from 1798 with a strange bird or magical transport ship in the sky:
Peering through a window at the Castle grounds outside in the 1800s....
Well, this was an amazing collection of art rescued after target practice. Who ever assumed they would be saved into perpetuity so we could enjoy and wonder of times long past?
There were several original architectural drawings throughout the Museum, resplendent with incredible details for the building contractors:
One room was dedicated to preserving the school desks and teaching tools from the first school in Trebon:
Then, on to some of the festive holiday creations, including numerous baked goods with dried fruits and nuts:
And lastly....ceramic figurines decked out with holiday flair, described as Lenten Presbytery from Trebon:
If you look closely, you seen the Trebon fisherman has a carp in his hands!
This well-dressed participant's eyes sparkle with fun and merriment!
Guarding the precious Moravian wine.
From here, we went across the Square for some hot chocolate and coffee, before heading to another holiday concert of festive Czech Carols in the Trebon church:
The Czech Carols are all lively and festive...a pure delight on this cold evening (The churches are NOT heated at all...we wore out winter coats, mittens and hats!).
Disclaimer: This blog is not an official University of Minnesota or Fulbright Program blog. The views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations, or the University of Minnesota.
No comments:
Post a Comment