Summary
The creative, restless personality of painter Josef Mánes (1820–1871) constitutes the central theme of this 1976 biographical drama by experienced director Josef Mach. The feature film is based on a book and screenplay by writer František Kožík. Nevertheless, the filmmakers only picked out some of the scenes from the extensive original work. Those selected were mostly related to Mánes´s studies and his work on the embellishment of the Prague astronomical clock, the unveiling of which the painter did not live to see. The artist, both during his youthful idealism and the creative inspiration he drew from maturity, is convincingly portrayed by Petr Kostka. Proven actors of the time are even found throughout the rest of the cast of this patriotic costume film. Writer Neruda was portrayed by Eduard Cupák, and Professor Purkyně by Bohuš Záhorský. Jana Švandová a Soňa Valentová were entrusted to portray the painter’s beloved “muses” – the women of his life.
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