Statue of John the Baptist, Maltézské Square

Look to your right, and you will spot a towering, dark stone monument resting on a heavy tiered base with pinkish panels, featuring dramatic sculpted figures including an angel clutching a large round shield. Now that we have crossed over from the Charles Bridge, we find ourselves in Malá Strana, or Lesser Town, standing right here in Maltézské Square. This impressive artwork is the Statue of John the Baptist, or Sousoší svatého Jana Křtitele in Czech. It is a masterful outdoor sculpture carved by the celebrated artist Ferdinand Maxmilián Brokoff. Notice how he managed to coax such lifelike, flowing robes out of rigid rock. Brokoff was a master of the Baroque era, a seventeenth-century artistic style famous for its heavy theatricality and intense emotional drama. He certainly brought that grand flair here, turning a standard religious tribute into a lively scene that feels like it was frozen right in the middle of a tense conversation. It is a striking piece of Prague history hiding in plain sight. Take your time admiring the weathered stonework from a few different angles. When you are fully ready, we will wander over to the Memorial to the Victims of Communism.