Prague, July 13 (CTK) – The Slav Epic series of paintings by Czech Art-Nouveau artist Alfons Mucha (1860-1939) might be displayed in the Municipal House in Prague next year, Michaela Vrchotova, head of the Prague City Gallery’s (GPR) PR and marketing section, told CTK on Thursday.
The paintings are now stored in the gallery’s depository after their exhibition in Tokyo held from March 8 to May 5, which was visited by more than 662,000 people.
“The probably nearest exhibition of the paintings will take place in the Municipal House next year. We will announce the exact dates in time,” Vrchotova said.
Some cities in the United States, South Korea and China expressed interest in displaying the Slav Epic in the past. However, the paintings will not be sent to another exhibition abroad soon, Vrchotova said.
“We are not negotiating about other destinations,” she said.
The paintings returned from Japan at the end of June and they are in a good shape, she added.
“The Slav Epic returned home unharmed as a detailed inspection by Japanese experts and a team of Czech restorers sent to Japan concluded,” Vrchotova pointed out.
Mucha was working on the whole cycle of 20 large paintings inspired by Slav mythology and the history of the Czech nation in the Zbiroh chateau, west Bohemia, from 1910 for 18 years.
The Slav Epic was displayed in the chateau of Moravsky Krumlov for decades in the past. The cycle, which has been listed among cultural heritage since 2010, moved to Prague in 2012.
The transport stirred up protests of the Moravsky Krumlov Town Hall, the South Moravia Regional Office as well as the painter’s grandson John Mucha and thousands of other people. He demanded that the paintings be displayed in a new gallery permanently.
The author bequeathed the paintings to Prague on condition that the city build an independent exhibition pavilion for them. It has not happened yet. However, the Prague City Hall declares that it will build suitable premises to display the paintings.
