It is one of the most beautiful townhouses in Prague. Inside, conservation and rescue work was carried out, which included an analysis of the ornate work done inside. Polychromes on the ceiling, walls, window and door woodwork and balustrades were examined.
Located at 21 Wileńska Street, the building is modest and inconspicuous from the outside. Just an ordinary grey tenement house, like many around. It was built in 1911 and received an elegant Art Nouveau façade. But there is definitely more going on inside.
Wileńska Street has been a landmark of New Prague since its creation. The buildings erected along the street stood out for their size. At number 21 there is a tenement house which conceals colourful decorations inside. On the ceiling on the top floor is a painting framed by stucco. The work of art covers the entire ceiling. The decorative framing resembles a floral thread with brown leaves and cream-coloured flowers. The centre is filled with a sky against which four putti are placed.
The winged figures hold a lute, an open notebook, a bunch of grapes and a jug. Opposite the putti is a cartouche with a monogram of the intertwined letters H and M (Haim Winkler, owner of the tenement). On the side of the door to the flats, a wild duck in flight was painted. On the basis of the excavations and research carried out, art conservator Maria Sęk-Pudłowska formulated a programme of restoration work. The most damaged parts of the painting were subjected to salvage work,” reads a press release from the Office of the Capital Conservator of Monuments.

The conservator adds that the decorations represent the eclectic style.
The drawing is done mainly in brown line and filled in with flat colour with light laser shading, he reports.
Part of the walls forming the lamellae were treated differently from the walls. First a yellow levelling putty was applied and then a dark brown decoration reminiscent of marble or wood grain was painted on. This was done in oil. Thanks to the work carried out, it is known that the window woodwork was originally brown in colour. It was then repainted as many as five times in different colours. The original doors to the flats were also brown, but most of the original coating was removed during the door renovations.
There is a chance that the polychromes are still hiding in other places under layers of paint and that they could be exposed in the future.
photos: R. Pawlas, source: Office of the Capital Conservator of Monuments
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