Silver plated medal Old Town Astronomical Clock - Gemini 2017 Proof

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Old Town Clock

The twelve-part collector's cycle of silver-plated commemorative medals of the Czech Mint, inspired by the calendar plate of the Old Town Clock by Josef Mánes, is coming to an end after three years. The last issue is dedicated to the month of May and the animal sign of Gemini.

Josef Mánes was a severely tested man. His life was hampered by his worsening mental illness, which was exacerbated by all his failures. Although his work boldly rivalled that of the world's greatest painters, he was accompanied by hardship, artistic misunderstanding and material poverty. He longed in vain for love, but his relationship with his maid, Frantiska, turned tragic. All his life he longed to visit Rome, but his study trip to Italy ended in disaster. At least one wish came true - he was convinced that he was destined to create monumental works, and in the end he did receive such a commission: his final work was the decoration of the Prague Astronomical Clock. However, here too his curse manifested itself. Although he successfully completed the work, he did not receive the promised payment and did not even get to enjoy it - unable to attend the unveiling ceremony, he died shortly afterwards.

Perhaps it would be a consolation to him that after his death he achieved universal recognition and many artists are following in his footsteps. One of them is the academic sculptor Daniela Kartáková, author of a whole series of Mánes commemorative medals. She dedicated the obverse side of this mintage to two circular fields. The rural allegory of the month of May, placed in a larger circle, takes the form of a couple in love by a flowering bush under Mount Říp - the girl plucks flowers and the boy puts one of them behind his cap. The smaller field then bears a pair of kissing baroque cherubs, symbolizing the astrological sign of Gemini. The reverse side of the coinage belongs to the person of the painter standing in front of his masterpiece.