Czech art

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Copy of Venus of Petrkovice beside that of Venus of Dolni Vestonice at an exhibition in the National Museum, Prague Prehistoric Times of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia - NM Prague 68.JPG
Copy of Venus of Petřkovice beside that of Venus of Dolní Věstonice at an exhibition in the National Museum, Prague
International Gothic bust of the Virgin, 1390-1395, painted terracotta Bust of the Virgin.jpg
International Gothic bust of the Virgin, 1390-1395, painted terracotta

Czech art is the visual and plastic arts that have been created in the Czech Republic and the various states that formed the Czech lands in the preceding centuries. The Czech lands have produced artists that have gained recognition throughout the world, including Alfons Mucha, widely regarded as one of the key exponents of the Art Nouveau style, and František Kupka, a pioneer of abstract art.

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The Czech lands have produced several important finds of prehistoric art, notably the Venus of Dolní Věstonice, a pottery Venus figurine of a nude female dated to 29,00025,000 BC, and a distinct style of Celtic art. For most subsequent periods, Czech art was especially close to Austrian and German art, and participated in most phases of this. In periods when Prague was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, it was a key centre of the current artistic style, using artists of both Czech and foreign origin. This was especially the case for the International Gothic style of the 14th century, and the Northern Mannerism of the late 16th and early 17th. After the Thirty Years War, when the largely non-Catholic Czech lands were returned to Catholic Habsburg control, a massive propaganda effort by the church has left rich remains of Baroque art and architecture. From the 19th century, Czech nationalism had a strong influence on all the arts.

Gothic art

Master Theoderic, Saint Gregory 1370, currently in the National Gallery in Prague Meister Theoderich von Prag 001.jpg
Master Theoderic, Saint Gregory 1370, currently in the National Gallery in Prague

The Gothic style first appeared in the Czech lands in the first half of the 13th century and was usual there until the early 16th century. The phases of the development of Gothic art in the Czech lands are often named after the Bohemian ruling dynasty of the corresponding time:

The first recognisable period of Czech art is the International Gothic period, in which Charles IV had made the Crown of Bohemia, and Prague in particular, the centre of power of the Holy Roman Empire. Master Theodoricus is one of the first Czech artists that we know by name and is credited with the decoration of the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Karlštejn Castle. It contains 129 painted panels and is one of the artistic treasures of the Medieval period in Bohemia.

A collection of busts in Prague Cathedral dating to the 1379–1386 depict the benefactors of the cathedral. One of the busts depicts the artist himself, Petr Parléř the younger (1330–1399) and has been suggested to be the first recognisable self-portrait. [2]

The importance of Bohemia at this time has been recognised and was a key centre in the diffusion of the artistic ideas of France and Italy, spread to England through the wife of Richard II, Anne of Bohemia.

Gothic painting as well as much of medieval art is of a religious nature.

Notable Gothic paintings

Early Gothic

  • 1325–1349 Velislai biblia picta (Velislav's Bible) illustration on parchment – is the richest pictorial book of the Czech Middle Ages and includes illustrations of the Old Testament, Revelation of Saint John and the legends of the life of St. Wenceslaus and St. Ludmila. However it was not completed.

High Gothic

Late Gothic

Baroque

Petr Brandl was one of the most well known painters of his age in Bohemia and an important figure of the late Baroque.

19th century

Zodiac an example of Alphonse Mucha's floral Art Nouveau style Alphonse Mucha - Zodiac.jpg
Zodiac an example of Alphonse Mucha's floral Art Nouveau style

The National Revival

The National Revival, which had its roots in the last decades of the 18th century, led to a blossoming in the Czech visual arts that reached its apogee in the latter half of the 19th century. [3] The artists of the period contributed to the decoration of the National Theatre, which became a focal point of artistic expression of the nation. One of the artists involved was Mikoláš Aleš who decorated the foyer along with František Ženíšek. Aleš is widely regarded within the Czech Republic as one of its greatest artists.

Other artists of the national revival included Aleš's colleagues at the Mánes Union of Fine Arts, artists at the Association of Moravian Artists such as Antoš Frolka and Alois Kalvoda, and Max Švabinský.

The Fin de Siècle

The most important artist of this period is Alphonse Mucha. The work he is most known for is his commercial art from the 1890s which he created in Paris. However, he considered his masterpiece to be the Slav Epic , a visual exploration of the history of the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe.

The Mánes Union of Fine Arts was an important institution in the last decade of the 19th century and lasted until its suppression by the Communists. It was founded in 1887 in Prague and fostered links between Czech artists with the international arts scene. It would later become associated with the Czech Cubist movement.

20th century

An important event in Czech art was the exhibition of Edvard Munch which took place in Prague in 1905 and inspired a new generation of Czech artists to express themselves in new ways, often looking to the international art scene, in particular that of France, for new ideas. [4]

Early 20th-century Czech art

Max Švabinský (1873–1962) is one of the most notable artists from the period and his work spans many styles. His early work touched upon the genres of Realism and Symbolism. He designed windows for St Vitus Cathedral in Prague. He was widely regarded during his own lifetime and he was one of the few artists who was accepted by the Communist regime and was often commissioned by the government for official portraits. However, he was not a particularly political individual. [5]

Cubism

Josef Capek, Portrait of a King (1920). An example of Czech Cubism. AfricanKingCapek.jpg
Josef Čapek, Portrait of a King (1920). An example of Czech Cubism.

An important movement of Czech art in the 20th century was Cubism, the most creative period being 1910–1919. [4] Whilst there were visual artists who worked in the style, Czech Cubism is often mostly associated with architecture, so much so that the art historian Miroslav Lamac commented "Prague became the city of cubism". [6] Bohumil Kubišta is an important artist associated with the movement and his work displays many French influences such as the brushwork of Paul Cézanne as well as the obvious influence of Pablo Picasso. František Kupka is probably the most internationally recognised Czech artist from the period and his work continued to evolve past Cubism, eventually establishing himself as an early pioneer of abstract art.

Contemporary art

Gesture by David Cerny. The artwork is facing the Prague Castle, residence of the President Gesto, David Cerny(sochar), 21.10.2013, Praha.jpg
Gesture by David Černý. The artwork is facing the Prague Castle, residence of the President

A notable incidence of the contemporary Czech art scene was the work unveiled to commemorate the Czech presidency of the EU in 2009, Entropa by David Černý. The work explores European integration by presenting national stereotypes associated with each member state of the EU, some of which offended many viewers of the work. [7]

Art galleries and museums

The Czech National Gallery is the main institution for the display of artistic creation in the Czech Republic. It consists of many departments which each focus on a different aspect of art. The collection of pre-19th-century art is divided between the Convent of St Agnes, which contains Medieval art, the Šternberský palác, dedicated to the Old Masters of Western European art, and the Schwarzenberský palác which focuses on works from the Renaissance to the Baroque created in the Czech Lands. [8] The main centre for the display of Czech art from the 19th century is St. George's Convent, Prague. [9]

The Moravian Gallery in Brno is the second largest art gallery in the Czech Republic. [10] Its collection of modern art focuses particularly on the works of artists from the Czech Lands. It looks at both fine art and performance art.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech Republic</span> Country in Central Europe

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The Czech Republic has a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,871 square kilometers (30,452 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental and oceanic climate. The capital and largest city is Prague; other major cities and urban areas include Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň and Liberec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cubism</span> Early-20th-century avant-garde art movement

Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related artistic movements in music, literature, and architecture. In Cubist works of art, the subjects are analysed, broken up, and reassembled in an abstract form—instead of depicting objects from a single perspective, the artist depicts the subject from multiple perspectives to represent the subject in a greater context. Cubism has been considered the most influential art movement of the 20th century. The term cubism is broadly associated with a variety of artworks produced in Paris or near Paris (Puteaux) during the 1910s and throughout the 1920s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">František Kupka</span> Czech painter and graphic artist

František Kupka, also known as Frank Kupka or François Kupka, was a Czech painter and graphic artist. He was a pioneer and co-founder of the early phases of the abstract art movement and Orphic Cubism (Orphism). Kupka's abstract works arose from a base of realism, but later evolved into pure abstract art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum (Prague)</span> Czech museum institution

The National Museum (NM) is a Czech museum institution intended to systematically establish, prepare, and publicly exhibit natural scientific and historical collections. It was founded in 1818 by Kašpar Maria Šternberg. Historian František Palacký was also strongly involved in the foundation of the museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Gallery Prague</span> Art gallery in Prague, Czech Republic

The National Gallery Prague, formerly the National Gallery in Prague, is a state-owned art gallery in Prague, which manages the largest collection of art in the Czech Republic and presents masterpieces of Czech and international fine art in permanent and temporary exhibitions. The collections of the gallery are not housed in a single building, but are presented in a number of historic structures within the city of Prague, as well as other places. The largest of the gallery sites is the Trade Fair Palace, which houses the National Gallery's collection of modern art. Other important exhibition spaces are located in the Convent of St Agnes of Bohemia, the Kinský Palace, the Salm Palace, the Schwarzenberg Palace, the Sternberg Palace, and the Wallenstein Riding School. Founded in 1796, it is one of the world's oldest public art galleries and one of the largest museums in Central Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koloman Sokol</span>

Koloman Sokol was one of the most prominent Slovak painters, graphic artists and illustrators. He was a founder of modern Slovak graphic art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alén Diviš</span> Czech illustrator and painter (1900–1956)

Alén Diviš was a Czech painter known for his melancholic art. Having spent much of his life abroad, often working in solitude, he remained rather unknown during his life but has had a postmortem revival in the art world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech National Revival</span> Cultural movement in the 18th and 19th centuries

The Czech National Revival was a cultural movement which took place in the Czech lands during the 18th and 19th centuries. The purpose of this movement was to revive the Czech language, culture and national identity. The most prominent figures of the revival movement were Josef Dobrovský and Josef Jungmann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of the Czech Republic</span>

Czech culture has been shaped by the nation's geographical position in the middle of Europe, the Slavic ethnicity of Czechs, influences from its neighbors, political and social changes, wars and times of peace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Švabinský</span> Czech painter, graphic artist, illustrator, and university professor

Max Švabinský was a Czech painter, draughtsman, graphic artist, and professor in Academy of Graphic Arts in Prague. Švabinský is considered one of the more notable artists in the history of Czech painting and produced significant work during the first half of the 20th century. He was relatively unusual among modernist artists in that his work was accepted by the communist regime; this was due at least in part to his having formed his artistic personality prior to 1900, prior to the advent of cubism. His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech Cubism</span> Avant-garde art movement in Czech Republic

Czech Cubism was an avant-garde art movement of Czech proponents of Cubism, active mostly in Prague from 1912 to 1914. Prague was perhaps the most important center for Cubism outside Paris before the start of World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mánes Union of Fine Arts</span>

The Mánes Association of Fine Artists was an artists' association and exhibition society founded in 1887 in Prague and named after painter Josef Mánes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague</span> Art museum in Prague, Czech Republic

Founded in 1885, the Prague Museum of Decorative Arts is housed in a Neo-Renaissance edifice built from 1897 to 1899 after the designs of architect Josef Schulz. It opened in 1900 with exhibitions on the first floor. The Museum's rich collections include decorative and applied arts and design work ranging from Late Antiquity to the present day with focus on European objects, particularly arts and crafts created in the Bohemian lands. The impressive interior of the permanent exhibition, “Stories of Materials,” offers visitors an excursion into the history and development of decorative arts in the disciplines of glass, ceramics, graphic art, design, metal, wood and other materials, as well as objects such as jewellery, clocks and watches, textiles, fashion, toys and furniture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lobkowicz Palace</span> Building in Prague, Czech Republic

The Lobkowicz Palace is a part of the Prague Castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the only privately owned building in the Prague Castle complex and houses the Lobkowicz Collections and Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague</span> Public university in Czechia

The Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague is a public university located in Prague, Czech Republic. The university offers the study disciplines of painting, illustration and graphics, fashion design, product design, graphic design, ceramics and porcelain, photography and architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">František Muzika</span> Czech artist (1900–1974)

František Muzika was a Czech artist. He was a prominent representative of avant-garde in Czechoslovakia in the first half of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech Baroque architecture</span>

Czech Baroque architecture refers to the architectural period of the 17th and 18th century in Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia, which comprised the Crown of Bohemia and today constitute the Czech Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech Gothic architecture</span> Architectural period

Czech Gothic architecture refers to the architectural period primarily of the Late Middle Ages in the area of the present-day Czech Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech architecture</span>

Czech architecture, or more precisely architecture of the Czech Republic or architecture of Czechia, is a term covering many important historical and contemporary architectural movements in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. From its early beginnings to the present day, almost all historical styles are represented, including many monuments from various historical periods. Some of them are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleš Lamr</span> Czech painter

Aleš Lamr is a Czech artist. He presents himself as a painter, printmaker, author of murals and ceramic reliefs, sculptor, ceramist.

References

  1. Černá, Marie (2012). Dějiny výtvarného umění (in Czech). IDEA SERVIS. p. 63. ISBN   978-80-85970-74-6.
  2. Gombrich, Ernst H. (2012) [1950]. The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon. p. 163.
  3. "History of Czech Fine Art". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art" . Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  5. Škodová, Alena (2002). "Max Svabinsky". Radio Prague. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  6. "What is Czech Cubism?". Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  7. "Czech EU art stokes controversy". BBC. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  8. "Collection of Old Masters" . Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  9. "The Collection of 19th-c" . Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  10. "Historie". O Galerii. Moravská galerie v Brně. Archived from the original on 6 September 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2012.