Prague, March 13 (CTK) – The organisers of the exhibition of Czech Art-Nouveau painter Alfons Mucha’s Slav Epic in Tokyo have asked Prague to extend the display, which attracted some 26,000 people in the first days, Prague culture councillor Jan Wolf told CTK on Monday, but he does not know the answer as yet.
Japan is the first foreign country where Mucha’s (1860-1939) whole cycle of 20 large paintings from Slav mythology has been displayed.
The exhibition started on March 7 and it is to continue until June 5.
Wolf said the Japanese request has been “verbal and we must wait for writing form. Only then will it be possible to discuss it,” Wolf said.
The paintings are subject to a strict security regime and insurance.
The decision to extend the exhibition could be made by the Prague Gallery after a debate with the city’s representatives.
“After the first five days, the exhibition was seen by 26,300 people. At the weekend, it was about 6,000 visitors each day,” Wolf said.
Mucha is a respected and popular artist in Japan. Before the display, the Czech Culture Ministry supposed the display will attract about 250,000 people, but it could be more, Wolf said.
The exhibition was inaugurated on March 7 in the presence of Czech Culture Minister Daniel Herman, Mayor of Prague Adriana Krnacova and Wolf.
It was opened to the public one day later and it attracted 4000 visitors on the first day.
The display of the paintings in the National Gallery in Prague last year was seen by 119,675 people with the daily average of 385 people. However, the exhibition had the character of a permanent display and it was opened for almost five years.
The Czech Republic has a population of 10.5 million, Japan more than 127 million.
Mucha painted the cycle for 18 years starting in 1910. In 2010, it was proclaimed a Czech national heritage item. The cycle is owned by Prague to which Mucha donated it. He made it a condition that the city will build a suitable building for its display at its own costs. However, no such space has as yet been built.
