Polská 1283/18: ‘The Assyrian Kings’

Prague’s well-heeled residential district of Vinohrady is renowned for its grand apartment blocks, built at the turn of the 20th century in a variety of historicist styles. Their monumental entrances and lavish facades present a panoply of historical, mythological and allegorical subjects, reflecting the learning and intellectual aspirations of the increasingly affluent bourgeoisie of that period.

This extraordinary example, constructed in 1904, mimics the entrance to an ancient temple, flanked by the massy reliefs of a pair of Assyrian kings (‘U Assyrských králů’).