Water Nymph Rusalka (print)

"Water Nymph Rusalka" (2014) is a colored pencil drawing by Marie Brožová, created live in public in Jindřichův Hradec 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 Nežárka River.

The Story Behind the Art

We visit the Rusalka of the Nežárka River at the breathtaking height of spring, when time drifts as lazily as the river’s calm waters. Slowed by numerous weirs, the river moves so gently that locals often joke it occasionally flows backward. Through the rainbow lens of artistic vision, the Rusalka’s shimmering tail blends seamlessly with the familiar silhouette of Jindřichův Hradec Castle. In the sky above, mystical five-petaled roses bloom, tenderly gathered by Perchta, the White Lady of Rožmberk, who is said to still wander the castle roofs to this very day.

Hidden Details to Discover

Look closely into the drifting clouds to find the silhouette of Emmy Destinn, the legendary opera singer and Czech national heroine. Her nearby riverside chateau was a sanctuary for both her happiest memories and her darkest days. Placed under house arrest during WWI for smuggling wartime intelligence into the country after her American tour, she found solace only in her music. Today, she perhaps still sings a celestial anthem in the heavens—a poignant tribute to the birth of a free nation.

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