Overview

"The Eternal Face" - Since he took his father's death mask he has stopped carving. The sculptor, guided by an internal voice, must leave. He departs from his Bavarian village and family, who belong to an indefinite past, and sets off for Prague. On his journey he has visions: Tadpoles squirming in a puddle, a worm writhing in agony, a flying eagle attacking a swan and a dreamlike masked procession which files past him. Upon his arrival in Prague he meets an invalid dancer - she has been expecting him. Seized by a quiet affection for one another, they take a coach-ride through the desolate streets of fin de siècle Prague. But death is also closing in on her.