Kristus v zahradě Getsemanské

Kristus v zahradě Getsemanské (Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane) is a Baroque sculptural group standing in the grounds surrounding the Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary in the centre of Hořice, roughly 100 metres south of the town's main square, Jiřího z Poděbrad. The work is also known under two other names, "Anděl strážce" and "Anděl těšitel" (Guardian Angel, Comforting Angel), and it depicts one of the most dramatic scenes of the Passion narrative.

What does the sculpture show?

The composition captures the moment described in the Gospel of Luke, when Christ prays in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before the crucifixion, in such anguish that an angel is sent to strengthen him. The sculptor froze exactly this instant: an angel supports a suffering, collapsing Christ and raises above him a chalice of bitterness, a symbol of the ordeal awaiting him. It is a scene charged with tension and emotion, told through the dynamic pose and expressive gesture typical of Baroque religious sculpture.

Who made it, and when?

The group is dated to around 1730 and attributed to Jiří František Pacák, a gifted sculptor who came out of the circle of Matyáš Bernard Braun's workshop in nearby Kuks. Braun and his school are counted among the most important figures of Czech Baroque sculpture, and their trademark style — dynamic, emotionally charged figures and richly worked drapery — is clearly present in this Hořice composition as well.

Why does the statue stand next to this particular church?

The Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary in Hořice is considerably older than the sculpture itself, with roots going back to the 13th century and a Gothic origin. The building was badly damaged by a fire in 1738 and rebuilt in Baroque style between 1741 and 1744, to a design by architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, one of the most celebrated names of Czech Baroque architecture. Over time, several Baroque sculptures were placed around the church, including works by Pacák and other artists of the period — "Kristus v zahradě Getsemanské" is one of them.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

The area around the church in Hořice holds a small cluster of monuments from very different eras. Just next to it, on Komenského street, stands a memorial to Jan Amos Comenius, and beside it a bronze statue called "Muž práce" (The Working Man), created by sculptor Ladislav Šaloun in 1908. This mix of a Baroque biblical scene and twentieth-century secular monuments in a single small stretch of town illustrates how layered the local history is here — from sacred religious art to later tributes to figures important for Czech culture and science.

Why is it worth a visit?

Hořice has a long tradition of stonemasonry and sculpture; the surrounding region was known for its quarries, and the town itself is still associated with a stonemasons' school and stone-carving craft. "Kristus v zahradě Getsemanské" is a tangible witness to that tradition reaching back to the Baroque era, and its location right in the town centre makes it easy to combine a look at the sculpture with a visit to the church and the nearby monuments during a single short walk through Hořice.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly does the sculpture stand? By the Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary in the centre of Hořice, about 100 metres south of the main square.

Who created the sculpture? It is attributed to Jiří František Pacák, a sculptor connected to the school of Matyáš Bernard Braun from Kuks.

From which period does the sculpture date? It was created around 1730, not long before the church fire of 1738 and the subsequent Baroque reconstruction of 1741-1744.

What other monuments stand nearby? Right beside it, on Komenského street, are a memorial to Jan Amos Comenius and the bronze statue "Muž práce" by Ladislav Šaloun from 1908.