The Artist

by Katherine Kneubuehl (United States of America)

I didn't expect to find Czech Republic

I visited Prague during a 17 day trip through Europe. I had read about a small section of Prague called Mala Strana, known for it’s gorgeous side streets and alleys. I left my hotel, hopped on the nearest tram, and headed there. This section of Prague was quiet, quaint, and definitely not a popular tourist spot. I even stopped for a “trdelnik,” a donut cone filled with ice cream, Nutella, or whatever else you want it filled with. It was 15 degrees outside but I couldn’t have been happier. After finishing the cone of magic, I still had plenty of time in my evening. So I started walking... and never stopped. I walked almost 10 miles that night to the Prague castle, through government building courtyards, and found myself climbing higher and higher up. I had no idea of where I was or where I was headed. My only decision in those moments were, “do I want to go left or right?” Higher and higher up hills I walked until I was at the Petrin Lookout Tower. Completely by accident, I had climbed to Prague’s highest point. The Tower closes early in the winter but I didn’t need to climb it to see the incredible views. I could see the entire snow covered city, and in that moment I completely fell in love. As I began my walk down the hill, I noticed a small, quaint building sitting on the side of the hill. It looked like a tourist information building. As I got closer, I noticed the lights were on and an open sign was placed outside. Was it a bar? I continued to walk closer I realized this was not an ordinary building or business. The door was blocked ¾ with a small square of visibility at the top. I could see there was tons of artwork hanging on the walls. There was a small sign on the door that stated to ring the bell for entry. My curiosity piqued, I rang the bell. An older, long haired gentleman answered the door and after figuring out that I only spoke English, asked me if I wanted to see his gallery. It would only cost me the equivalent of $3, so it was an easy choice. He gave me the names of the artwork and told me to begin downstairs. As I headed down the spiral staircase, I began to realize that this was no ordinary art gallery. The paintings were of mythical creatures and even the walls themselves were a work of art. They were painted and built out. It was incredible. I was blown away. Hundreds of paintings surrounded me, each following a similar theme, but incredibly unique. I had never seen anything like it. Moving through the gallery, I discovered a book of newspaper articles. I couldn’t read any of the articles since they were in Czech but I was able to look at the pictures. The man who answered the door was the actual artist of all of these paintings! He had met almost every Czech leader and countless celebrities had visited this very gallery I was standing in. I worked my way through the base level and then made my way to the top floor. Again, I was met with hundreds of incredible paintings, all different sizes and creatures. I walked down to the main floor I rang the bell to signal I was finished. The older gentleman walked out of his side room and asked me how I liked the gallery. I asked, “Did you create all of this?” “Yes,” he said. “This is beyond incredible. Thank you so much for allowing me to experience this. It’s unbelievable.” He responded, “A pretty girl likes my paintings. This makes me very happy.” We chatted for a few more minutes about where I was from and how I ended up at his gallery at night alone. When we parted ways, he wished me a beautiful life. I learned an important lesson that night: not only is it okay to be lost, it can lead to the most beautiful things.