Asclepius (Latin: Aesculapius), the ancient Greek god of medicine, was the mythical son of the god Apollo and his lover Coronis. He was probably a real doctor who lived in the 12th century BCE and was only much later elevated to divine status in ancient Greece. Traditionally, he is depicted as an old man with the typical attributes of a rod with a snake (or worm) and a bowl. 

A flat allegorical relief symbolically mounted on the southeast façade of the polyclinic at 5 Mýtna Street atypically depicts a young woman, not an old man, with these two attributes of Asclepius. It is possible that the artist wanted to incorporate the mythical daughters of Asclepius into the relief – Hygieia, the goddess of cleanliness, and Panacea, the goddess of healing. The young woman is depicted in profile. Kneeling, she holds a bowl in her left hand, her elbow bent. Her right hand, lowered beside her body, holds the symbolic rod of Asclepius.  

Art history provides several examples of science and art being depicted as female figures with typical attributes. Here, we also find sources of inspiration for the sculptor Rudolf Pribiš.

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Research status as of 10. 06. 2023.