SCULPTURAL GROUP PORTRAYING SAINTS CYRIL AND METHODIUS

25. 10. 2012

We miss their representation in our parish church, even though our parishioners keep praying to them and proudly acknowledge them. Here they live their faith in a particular way as a legacy of the fathers. Local families have been passing it on to their new generations for centuries.

We would like the monument to have a high artistic value, which is guaranteed by the good reputation of the artist addressed – academic sculptor Mr. Petr Váňa who is a restorer of listed works of art, copies of Baroque sculptures and many sculpture projects in church objects. Particularly we would like to mention his work on the replica of the statue of the Immaculate Virgin Mary for the Virgin Mary’s column at the Old Town Square in Prague. Mr. Petr Váňa is able to put into his work more than just a perfect sculptural form – his deep faith.

His sculptural group has been contemplated through. He himself has written, "Thinking about the sculptural group portraying Saints Cyril and Methodius, I would like to proceed from a few visions which emerge before my eyes. These two men came from a distant country in the south. I visualize the country where they were growing up, which they loved and which imprinted its nature to their customs and thinking as well. The type of landscape, the stone we walk on and from which we build our houses, the species of trees and plants are very important for our minds. Especially if we love the landscape of our youth, thanks to our parents and friends. It is almost astonishing how much the landscape, in which we were brought up, gets encoded in our minds. Stone is only one little part of the landscape, yet, as a sculptor, I have a chance of feeling it in such an intimate way that it becomes knowable for me, close, dear.

I am still thinking of Saints Cyril and Methodius. They are coming from the country of white stone – travertine and marble. The founder of the city where they grew up – Emperor Constantine – chose for his city this locality just because of the amount of the high-quality stone; stone which he himself knew so well from the country of his youth – from Rome. They, with the veracity of their faith, which they brought, became pillars of our faith. Also due to the things they were talking about, and what people could read from their eyes. They became our gate – entrance, for us to the landscape of faith. Thanks be to them for it.

That is why I would like to base the sculptural group on these reflections. Like a path in the middle of our country – partly to change the pavement, a thin strip which would lead to the sculpture. The figures of the two saints as two pillars connected by the cross they carry. Thus, a narrow gate would emerge. A gate formed by persons, shaped deeply in the details of their faces, clothes, hands. The pedestal part, on which the statues would stand, would be stepped, so that we would have to go up, as to every gate. The stone, from which I would sculpt everything, would be travertine – white, gentle, limestone."

Information on the Sts CM sculptural group:
• the parish launched the realization based on the wish of parishioners;
• the village granted a place for the realization of the sculptural group;
• after a consultation among artists and architects, the general vicar of the diocese approved of the realization of the proposal submitted by academic sculptor Petr Vána;
• we have a study at our disposal, a schedule and budget, the cost with the anticipated VAT is around CZK 1,800,000;
• castings of the Moutnice based sculptural group will stand in the cities of Solun and Rome;
• in Rome there will be an exhibition mapping the genesis of the project;
• nowadays, the Greek Embassy, the city of Solun, the Italian Institute in Prague and representatives of the Greek Association in the Czech Republic are interested in the project;
• in the anniversary CM year, in July, there will be a festive benediction

Source: http://moutnice.farnost.cz

Moutnice_sculptural group