The Story of One Portrait
Last week I found myself in a strange situation.
This summer I received a friend request on Facebook from an artist now working in Prague. He draws caricatures at Charles Bridge. I looked through his portfolio and, alongside the caricatures, noticed several photos of the bridge itself. There were artists in those pictures too.
Last Tuesday I was wandering around Prague and ended up on Charles Bridge. And there — I saw a familiar face from that Facebook photo. The man was drawing a girl from life. He worked professionally, with strong likeness and real character. The kind of portrait you keep for life. The girl was very pleased. But her father wasn’t. He wanted a caricature like the others — a big head with horse teeth. And he refused to pay the full agreed price.
The situation was unpleasant, but the artist took it calmly. He simply gave the portrait to the child.
I waited until he finished and went up to say hello. He was very surprised. We talked for about twenty minutes — there was plenty to talk about.
At the end of the conversation, I realized this was not the artist who had followed me on Facebook at all. He had simply been caught in the background of a photo, and I had remembered his face as belonging to someone else’s profile.
If you ever find yourself on Charles Bridge, pay attention to this artist. He is a fine portraitist.

Added Sep 11, 2025