A Sleeping Watchman (Young Watchman)

In the 1850s Quido Mánes with brother Josef used to travel a grear deal in Bohemia and Moravia, staying athe country manors of their numerous friends. He became familiar with village life and did many studies, which he later used in his genre scenes. He depicted humorous events and small mishaps from the life of the common people, but with great sensitivity and understanding, free of Munich irony and Viennese exaggeration. In the picture of a romantic village corner with the figure of the sleeping night watchman Mánes avoided the pitfalls of smooth meticulous painting by highlighting the atmosphere of the nocturnal scenery. The painting was praised even by such a severe critic as Karel Purkyně, who however suggested that the painter continue his art studies in France and Belgium - because of bad financial straights this did never materialize.