Elbe - the River of Elves (print)

"Elbe - the River of Elves" (2017) is a colored pencil drawing by Marie Brožová, created live in public at her famous Magic Pencil Gallery in the heart of Prague as part of her long-term project The Defense of Colored Pencils. The original artwork is an impressive A0 format, measuring 118.9 × 84.1 cm (46.8 × 33.1 inches). This drawing is featured in the Souls of Czech Rivers series, inspired by the Labe (Elbe) River.

The Story Behind the Art

When looking at a map of the Czech Republic, you will notice that the Elbe, our nation's mightiest river, charts a unique course – flowing from its northern source and looping back north, gathering waters from nearly every Czech river along its journey. In this artwork, the personified Elbe resembles a powerful hero straight out of Norse mythology. The drawing itself functions as a visual map of the river's lifecycle: in the top right corner, we discover the snowy winter source of the Elbe. As our eyes move south, the seasonal cold recedes, and a captain steers his mystical ship through golden waves of grain in the fertile lowlands. On the left, the river sweeps back toward the north, carving its path through the picturesque Bohemian Central Highlands. Passing beneath the striking silhouette of Střekov Castle, it rushes toward the cities of Ústí and Děčín, flowing through the breathtaking Elbe Sandstone Mountains into Germany, where it finally meets the North Sea.

Hidden Details to Discover

While the name Elbe is commonly translated from its ancient origins as the 'White River,' there is another, far more poetic etymology. The ancient root word Alb shares its origins with the words Alp (mountain) and Elf. Consider Alberich, the pivotal character in Richard Wagner’s famous Ring of the Nibelung opera cycle. He is the sorcerer who forges a magical ring of power – the very myth that inspired The Lord of the Rings – which enslaves anyone who wears it. With such deep linguistic ties, the artist playfully poses a question: Where else in this mystical land should we expect to encounter Elves, if not along the banks of the Elbe?

Available as: Fine Art Prints (A4–A0), Gallery-Quality Posters (A2–A0), Greeting Cards, Postcards, Coloring Book Souls of Czech Rivers, Inner Balance Oracle Cards.