Max Švabinský is among the most influential and interesting personalities in Czech painting in the first half of the 20th century, and not only because of his wide range of work. He moved among the Czech great and good through the immense social upheaval during the forming of the republic and two world wars. And while other painters focused solely on landscapes, Švabinský was prolific in a wider and more varied spectrum of fine art. He was an excellent and renowned painter of both portraits and social scenes, using techniques that included drawing, oil painting, etching, and woodblock printing. Read more…

As fall comes to the Czech Republic, the curators at Obecní Dům, along with Mánes Mitte s.r.o,have prepared a seasonal treat – an exhibition of works by the beloved Czech artist Josef Lada. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Lada’s death, this jubilee exhibition follows the artist’s life through his craft, moving from his early childrens’ illustrations through his stylistic maturation in the 1920s, on to his later development and works. In addition to Lada’s extensive trademark work in the realm of nursery rhymes and fairy tales – including illustrations from Hašek’s The Good Soldier Švejk – less well-known works from private collections will be on display, as well as advertising work, stage designs and more.

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The brilliancy of Czech glass breached the gap in this dichotomy, and glass as an art form not only survived but flourished.

Glassmaking as a craft and as an art form goes back centuries in the Czech Republic. From the 11th through the 14th centuries, anonymous glass artisans invented bold new designs and forms of glass, proved in high demand throughout Europe. Yet, today these artisans’ identities remain a secret, forever lost in history.

In the mid-20th century, the use of glass as an expressive art form ground to a halt, as the political regime demanded that glass be used only for the most practical things – tableware, optics, windows. Yet somehow the Czech artistic spirit was not quashed; when the former glass artists were forced to become teachers, their insights and perceptions lived on in their students, and the two opposing and very different camps – politics and art – coexisted. The brilliancy of Czech glass breached the gap in this dichotomy, and glass as an art form not only survived but flourished.
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