In the Opava church of Saint Wenceslaus, a giant painting is being installed

Opava - In the Opava Church of St. Wenceslaus, the installation of a giant painting by Anton Petter depicting the murder of St. Wenceslaus began yesterday. The work, which has undergone a complete renovation, will be hung today on a special stand made according to the design by architect Josef Pleskot. This was stated by Dalibor Halátek, the Deputy Mayor of Opava, to ČTK. However, the painting will remain covered and inaccessible until September 6. Its unveiling will be part of the national program for the opening of the European Heritage Days in Opava.
    "The frame, which is 1291 centimeters tall, has been successfully installed. This dimension refers to the year the Dominican Monastery in Opava was founded. In any case, it will be a monument. It will excellently complement the interior of the church, which is already unique in itself," said the deputy. He added that today experts stretched the canvas onto a wooden frame. On Saturday, they will attempt to hang it on the stand.
    The stand is located in the presbytery of the former Dominican monastery church. Its furnishings have not been preserved, and the space is now used for various cultural events. According to the contract signed with the city by the Olomouc Archdiocese as the owner of the work, the painting will be displayed in Opava for ten years. After ten years, the contract will be extended, according to Halátek.
    The painting has undergone complete restoration. In the first phase, experts secured the canvas. Areas where the paint had begun to flake were also preserved. The second phase involved filling and retouching. The total costs for the restoration of the work, including its installation on a metal stand weighing three tons, will reach 2.5 million crowns. The funds were collected through a fundraising campaign on a special account.
    The painting, commissioned by Olomouc Archbishop Maximilian Sommerau-Beckha, has never been exhibited in the past. Even though the author, who created a number of religious-themed paintings, revised it, the archbishop did not like it. It ended up rolled up in the castle in Kroměříž. It was not until February 2012 that Archbishop Jan Graubner had it brought down. The work is interesting, among other things, for its interpretation of Slavic mythology. While St. Wenceslaus is depicted in romantic attire referencing his Slavic past, his brother with a hefty mustache resembles a Balkan armed hajduk. The exact dimensions of the work are 510 by 850 centimeters. Thus, it is larger than the canvases of Mucha's Slav Epic.