A Fair at Hvězda, study

Since the 1860s Barvitius brought into his painting,, in line with contemporaneous literature (Jan Neruda, Vítězslav Hálek, Ignác Herrmann), the ambience and life of the city. In scenes from the streets, squares, public gardens, cafés or skating rings, he saw very clearly details of city life, at first in Prague and later also in Paris. He got the idea for the painting A Fair at Hvězda in 1861, after an afternoon outing of Prague inhabitants connected with a pilgrimage to the Břevnov church on St Margaret's Day. Barvitius was present with his friends, who are shown in the picture. In the definitive large version, the whole scene has lost its fragility and remains primarily a document of the prevailing atmosphere at the time. In the sketch the light and shapes are masterfully depicted with colour patches - and the composition, colours and brushwork of the whole picture give and impression of liveliness and freedom.