st. john nepomucene catholic church

We stopped off at St. John Nepomucene during a trip to Pisek for Christmas candy at the J-Mart (which is a whole 'nother story). The big draw to St. John Nepomucene: the painting of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, the great saints of all Slavic peoples, in the church sanctuary. It turns out that Alphonse Mucha, the founder of Art Nouveau, had kinsmen in this parish, who contacted him in Paris to produce this sacred art for them. Mucha personally packed the painting for shipment to North Dakota. The painting represents the other big theme in Much's work, the painting of epic scenes in Moravian history. The painting, beautifully restored and exhibited, is arguably the most significant work of visual art in all of North Dakota. It is situated, moreover, in a country church bedecked with wonderful ornamentation signifying the Bohemian, Moravian, and Catholic culture of the parishioners. Outside, in the cemetery, are numerous cast iron grave markers produced by the Charles Andera foundry in Spillville, Iowa. Pisek is a lovely little town, too.