The Psychological Self-Portrait Known As Metalmorphosis

Metalmorphosis is a mirrored sculpture by the controversial Czech artist David Černý. It is similar to his monumental eleven-meter-tall sculpture located in the Quadrio shopping center in the Prague 1 district of Prague, Czech Republic, known as either Head of Franz Kafka or Statue of Kafka. Metalmorphosis, however, is located across the ocean from Prague...

Art and Design, CULTURE

March 28, 2018

The Czech Week Leading to Easter Sunday

In The Czech Republic, Easter is a long holiday, much longer than most of us celebrate here in the United States. Besides celebrating Easter classically as we know it on Sunday, many Czech people celebrate the entire week leading up to this cheerful holiday. Back when the communists first started their occupation of the Czech...

CULTURE, Holidays

March 25, 2018

Beautiful Czech Easter Eggs for Sale

Easter is just a week away and I stumbled upon some of these wonderful items which are for sale… What better way to share your heritage than to have some of these on your Easter and spring table. Look at the lovely images and descriptions and if you are interested, the link to buy is...

CULTURE, Holidays, Shopping

March 23, 2018

A Series of Moments Captured Through The Lens of David Tichý

David Tichý is a Czech photographer whose fascinating photographs capture ordinary moments in a unique and intriguing way. He certainly has an artistic eye, depicting simple subjects such as a flock of birds, a pedestrian, or a city street in a captivating, and at times almost haunting, way. His pictures feature some of the most...

CULTURE, Photography

March 21, 2018

Trade Fair Palace – National Art Gallery of Prague

Founded by Kašpar Maria Šternberg in 1818, the “National Gallery” has ten locations around the city of Prague. Each one features a different style/period of art, and combined, The National Gallery’s collection reaches almost 14 million items all together. Today we will be discussing the Trade Fair Palace which was originally built in 1925 as a place...

Art and Design, CULTURE

March 12, 2018

Czech Contemporary Housing Culture in 1931 – Byt a umění

Byt a umění (Apartment and Art) Revue for Czech Contemporary Housing Culture: Architecture, Interiors, Painting, Decoration, Sculpture, Plastics, Arts, Gardening, Handicrafts, Exhibitions, Auctions and more. The title itself sounds so modern, yet this is a periodical from 1931. It was published in Prague between the years 1930-1933 and appeared in the Czech language. This magazine...

Architecture, CULTURE, Periodicals

March 9, 2018

The Life and Work of Jan Preisler

In 1902, a Czech artist from the town of Králův Dvůr traveled to Italy in order to help the famous Norwegian painter, Edvard Munch, design posters for the Prague exhibition of 1905. His name was Jan Preisler. At a young age, Preisler began attracting attention at school for his drawings. He showed a great talent...

Art and Design, CULTURE

colloredo-mansfeldsky-palac-Tres-Bohemes-3

March 7, 2018

The History of the Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace

Have you ever wondered what that big beautiful building in The Knights of The Cross Square, just off the Charles Bridge house is? Well if so, you’re not the only one. Sometimes when you’re in a foreign place it’s hard to know the best places to go, especially if they are not advertised. The Colloredo-Mansfeld...

Architecture, CULTURE

March 1, 2018

Panelák Housing in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

People visiting the Czech Republic and Slovakia expect to see what the travel magazines show us; the castles, ancient bridges, cobblestone streets, stunning cathedrals and more. What they often don’t realize is that millions of people who live there do not all live in castles and luxury flats. In fact, a third of the population...

Architecture, CULTURE

February 14, 2018

The Black Chapel or Černá Kaple of Holešov

The Black Chapel (or Černá Kaple) is a funeral chapel built on the side of the parish church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Holešov, Czech Republic. The chapel was built on July, 25th, 1748 by the Bishop of Olomouc and Cardinal Ferdinand Julius, the Count of Troy. The owner of the entire estate was František Antonín Rottal, who...

Architecture, CULTURE

February 9, 2018

The History of The House of the Black Madonna

In 1911, the Czech architect Josef Gočár designed a building for the wholesale merchant František Josef Herbst. The building, which is now known as the House of the Black Madonna (Czech: Dům U Černé Matky Boží), is the oldest cubist house in the city of Prague. The building is named after the baroque statue which adorns...

Architecture, CULTURE

February 7, 2018

A Brief History of the Estates Theater in Prague

The Estates Theater, or Stavovské Divadlo as it is more commonly known in Czech, is Prague’s oldest theatre and one of the most beautiful theater buildings in all of Europe. Built in the late 18th century and designed by Czech architect Anton Haffenecker, its construction, which only lasted two years, was started by aristocrat František...

Architecture, CULTURE

February 5, 2018

Ahoj Jane – A Collection of Jan Saudek Memorabilia

Ahoj Jane (Hello Jan) – A Collection of Jan Saudek Memorabilia is an 84 page paperback collage of memories and quotes from the private correspondence between Czech photographer Jan Saudek and his friends. Jan Saudek (bornMay 13, 1935 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech art photographer. His best-known work is noted for its hand-tinted portrayal of...

CULTURE, Photography

January 24, 2018

A Closer Look at The Slav Epic by Alphonse Mucha

The Slav Epic is a series of twenty magnificent artworks by the Czech Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha. The monumental artworks which comprise the series depict the history and mythology of the Slavic civilization and people. Mucha first formed the idea for the Slav Epic when he was working on the interior deign of the...

Art and Design, CULTURE

January 20, 2018

Interesting Illustrations by Adolf Born

Adolf Born was an illustrator, caricaturist, painter, and filmmaker from the Czech Republic. He was born in the Czech town of České Velenice, which is located on the border of South Bohemia and Austria, in June of 1930. In 1935, he moved to Prague with his family where he attended the School of Applied Arts...

Art and Design, CULTURE

January 17, 2018

The Czech and Slovak Heligonka Instrument

The Heligonka or Helikónka (in Slovak: Heligónka) is a Czech and Slovak musical instrument similar to the Melodeon or Alpine Steirische Harmonika. The actual history of this instrument is unknown, as is the exact individual enterprises where the production began. (The Novak company was created in the year 1874 – and they produced the steirische...

CULTURE, History, Music, NOSTALGIA