Jakub Arbes: Saint Xaverius

In his prose, Arbes drew extensively on contemporary Prague life, interweaving autobiographical experiences. He liked mystery stories and the work of E. A. Poe. However, he was also an extraordinarily rational man who was interested in technology and the latest scientific discoveries. His most imaginative and still the most vivid are his prose works, sometimes described as shorter novels, novellas or, on the contrary, longer stories with dramatic, mysterious plots, but with surprising endings. Jan Neruda named this new literary genre romaneto. At the time of its composition (1873), Saint Xaverius was already one of the best romances of Jakub Arbes (1840-1914). Saint Xaverius is a painting by the master Balko, which is located in the Church of Saint Nicholas in the Lesser Town. The narrator is deeply interested in painting. Once he observes a painting of a dying saint. He decides to spend the night in the temple and examine the painting more closely. After the service, however, he discovers that he is not alone in the temple.