The statue of the night watchman has returned to the niche of the Olomouc Villa Primavesi

Olomouc – The national cultural monument, the Olomouc Art Nouveau Villa Primavesi, is once again adorned with a statue of the night watchman from today. It has returned to the niche of the northern tower, from where it was removed nearly 70 years ago after the villa was nationalized. The new life-sized statue was made by Moravian sculptor Petr Steffan from a hundred-year-old oak according to the original statue by Anton Hanak from 1907. The original statue, created by the Austrian sculptor for the banking family Primavesi, is still stored in the depositary of the Museum of Art. Pavla Honzíková, the owner of the villa, told ČTK today. The statue will be ceremoniously unveiled on Saturday during the Days of European Heritage.

The night watchman was installed today in the niche by experts with the help of a crane. The sculptor worked on the over 300-kilogram statue for four months. "It is approximately 176 centimeters tall, and all dimensions were according to the original. I worked on it according to a 3D model, the most challenging part was maintaining all the measurements. I had to find a trunk that matched perfectly. It was important for everything to fit, just one mistake was enough," the sculptor Petr Steffan told ČTK today. Creating a statue based on a well-known sculptor's work was very demanding for the author. "Mr. Hanak's work looks luxurious. If it turns out well, it's a joy," he added.

For the villa's owner, the return of the statue is a fulfillment, as she had been searching for the original for many years. "The statue was created by Anton Hanak in 1907 for the banking family Primavesi; it was meant to be the night watchman as a protector of the villa and the family. In 1952, the villa was nationalized and went into state ownership, being included in the then outpatient facilities. From that year onwards, Hanak's statues and furniture from the villa began to be removed. Besides the statue of the night watchman, the statue of a child above the everyday was also lost. It was taken away to an unknown destination," the villa's owner told ČTK.

The villa was returned to her mother in 1992, but with the stipulation that the furniture was not part of the restitution; the owners had to litigate with some institutions regarding the return of the furnishings. However, the statue of the night watchman was not found, and Honzíková only recently discovered it in the depositary of the Museum of Art. Museum spokesperson Tomáš Kasal confirmed to ČTK today that it is part of the museum's collections. This April, they managed to photograph the statue and create a 3D model. "When you compare the original image of the night watchman, which is placed in the winter garden, and the statue of the night watchman, it is practically identical. For me, it is an original from 2021 based on the original by Anton Hanak from 1907, which is in the museum's depositary," the villa's owner added.

Thus, the statue has returned to its place at least in the form of a copy after nearly 70 years. "It is challenging, but it also lifts a bit of weight off my heart. There will be something here again that belongs," Honzíková added. Her wish is also to return the statue of prayer to the marble column in the garden of the villa.

Villa Primavesi is one of the most valuable buildings of Vienna Secession in Central Europe. It was built in 1905 as the family residence of banker Otto Primavesi and his wife Eugenie, a famous Viennese actress. The house is the work of a duo of architects Franz von Krause and his associate Josef Tölk. Leading Viennese artists participated in the decoration of the interior, primarily architect Josef Hoffmann, sculptor Anton Hanak, and painter Gustav Klimt. After the restitution, the owners gradually reconstructed the villa, which has already seen roof repairs, window replacements, and updated installations, as well as a new facade in 2006. In the following years, they had its interior repaired, including the reconstruction of the wooden staircase. The period dining room, whose paneling was designed by architect Anton Hanak, has also been restored. The villa now hosts regular guided tours.