The Slav Epic
Encyclopedia
The Slav Epic is a cycle of 20 large canvases painted by Czech Art Nouveau
painter Alfons Mucha
between 1910 and 1928. The cycle depicts the history of Czechs and other Slavic peoples
. In 1928, after finishing his monumental work, Mucha bestowed the cycle to the city of Prague
on condition that the city built a special pavilion for it. As of 2010, the work is a part of the permanent exhibition at the chateau in the town of Moravský Krumlov
in the South Moravian Region
of the Czech Republic
.
. He began by visiting the places which he intended to depict in the cycle, such as Russia, Poland and the Balkans, including the Orthodox monasteries of Mount Athos
. Additionally, he consulted historians about the details of historical events in order to ensure an accurate depiction. In 1910, he rented a part of the castle in Zbiroh
and began working on the series.
Mucha continued working on the cycle for 18 years. He gradually handed over the finished paintings to the city of Prague. In 1919, the first part of the series, comprising eleven canvases, was displayed in the Prague's Clementinum
. In 1921, five of the paintings were shown in New York
and Chicago
to the great acclaim of the audience.
After finishing the work in 1928, the complete cycle was displayed in the Trade Fair Palace in Prague. It was the first exhibition of the work in the Czechoslovak capital.
Alfons Mucha died in July, 1939. Shortly before his death he was interrogated by Gestapo
as an important exponent of public life in Czechoslovakia
. During World War II, the Slav Epic was wrapped and hidden away to prevent seizure by the Nazis.
Following the Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
and subsequent communist takeover of the country, Mucha was considered a decadent and bourgeois artist, estranged from the ideas of socialist realism
. The building of a special pavilion for the exposition of the cycle became irrelevant and unimportant for the new regime. After the war, the paintings were moved to Moravský Krumlov by a group of local patriots. The cycle went on display in the chateau in 1963.
, would be able to attract increased attention to and interest in the series of paintings. However, there is no suitable space for the work in Prague's galleries. Therefore, some of the Czech state institutions, such as the Office of the President of the Czech Republic
, found it preferable to keep the paintings in their existing location since there have been few problems with the space at which they are currently displayed. Nevertheless, in early 2010, the city of Prague requested the return of the Slav Epic for restoration works and subsequent display. However, the Mucha Foundation, run by the artist's grandson John Mucha and his mother Geraldine, blocked the move as it would simply be a provisional measure. The City of Prague argued that not Alfons Mucha but Charles R. Crane was the owner of the paintings and that he has donated the cycle to the City of Prague. According to the newspaper Mladá fronta DNES
, the information was proved by contracts found in the city archive. The Foundation is in talks with the City of Prague for the construction of a permanent home for the work.
On 25 July 2010, over a thousand people gathered in Moravský Krumlov to protest against the planned move of The Slav Epic from the town.
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
painter Alfons Mucha
Alfons Mucha
Alfons Maria Mucha , known in English as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist, known best for his distinct style. He produced many paintings, illustrations, advertisements, postcards, and designs.-Early years:...
between 1910 and 1928. The cycle depicts the history of Czechs and other Slavic peoples
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
. In 1928, after finishing his monumental work, Mucha bestowed the cycle to the city of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
on condition that the city built a special pavilion for it. As of 2010, the work is a part of the permanent exhibition at the chateau in the town of Moravský Krumlov
Moravský Krumlov
Moravský Krumlov is a town in the Znojmo District, South Moravian Region, Czech Republic. It has about 6,023 inhabitants .The city is named Moravský Krumlov to differentiate it from Český Krumlov , which is further west.The castle of Moravský Krumlov is home to the series of paintings by Alphonse...
in the South Moravian Region
South Moravian Region
South Moravian Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the south-western part of its historical region of Moravia, with exception of Jobova Lhota, that belongs to Bohemia. Its capital is Brno the 2nd largest city of the Czech Republic. The region is famous for its wine...
of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
Background
Mucha spent many years working on The Slav Epic cycle, which he considered his life's fine art masterpiece. He had dreamed of completing a series such as this, a celebration of Slavic history, since the turn of the 19th century, however, his plans were limited by financial constraints. In 1909, he managed to obtain grants by an American philanthropist and a keen admirer of the Slavic culture, Charles Richard CraneCharles Richard Crane
Charles Richard Crane was a wealthy American businessman, heir to a large industrial fortune and connoisseur of Arab culture, a noted Arabist. His widespread business interests gave him entree into domestic and international political affairs where he enjoyed privileged access to many...
. He began by visiting the places which he intended to depict in the cycle, such as Russia, Poland and the Balkans, including the Orthodox monasteries of Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
. Additionally, he consulted historians about the details of historical events in order to ensure an accurate depiction. In 1910, he rented a part of the castle in Zbiroh
Zbiroh
Zbiroh is a town in the Pilsen Region of the Czech Republic. It lies some to the east-northeast from the region capital of Pilsen.Zbiroh is also a Municipality with Commissioned Local Authority within the Rokycany Municipality with Extended Competence....
and began working on the series.
Mucha continued working on the cycle for 18 years. He gradually handed over the finished paintings to the city of Prague. In 1919, the first part of the series, comprising eleven canvases, was displayed in the Prague's Clementinum
Clementinum
The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National...
. In 1921, five of the paintings were shown in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to the great acclaim of the audience.
After finishing the work in 1928, the complete cycle was displayed in the Trade Fair Palace in Prague. It was the first exhibition of the work in the Czechoslovak capital.
Alfons Mucha died in July, 1939. Shortly before his death he was interrogated by Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
as an important exponent of public life in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. During World War II, the Slav Epic was wrapped and hidden away to prevent seizure by the Nazis.
Following the Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 – in Communist historiography known as "Victorious February" – was an event late that February in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, ushering in over four decades...
and subsequent communist takeover of the country, Mucha was considered a decadent and bourgeois artist, estranged from the ideas of socialist realism
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
. The building of a special pavilion for the exposition of the cycle became irrelevant and unimportant for the new regime. After the war, the paintings were moved to Moravský Krumlov by a group of local patriots. The cycle went on display in the chateau in 1963.
Controversy
The city of Prague has waged a decade-long legal battle over the work which intensified in early 2010. Much consideration was given to the idea of relocating The Slav Epic from Moravský Krumlov, (where it has been displayed for about 45 years), to Prague. It was thought that Prague, a city frequented by countless thousands of touristsTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, would be able to attract increased attention to and interest in the series of paintings. However, there is no suitable space for the work in Prague's galleries. Therefore, some of the Czech state institutions, such as the Office of the President of the Czech Republic
Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus is the second President of the Czech Republic and a former Prime Minister .An economist, he is co-founder of the Civic Democratic Party, the Czech Republic's largest center-right political party. Klaus is a eurosceptic, but he reluctantly endorsed the Lisbon treaty as president of...
, found it preferable to keep the paintings in their existing location since there have been few problems with the space at which they are currently displayed. Nevertheless, in early 2010, the city of Prague requested the return of the Slav Epic for restoration works and subsequent display. However, the Mucha Foundation, run by the artist's grandson John Mucha and his mother Geraldine, blocked the move as it would simply be a provisional measure. The City of Prague argued that not Alfons Mucha but Charles R. Crane was the owner of the paintings and that he has donated the cycle to the City of Prague. According to the newspaper Mladá fronta DNES
Mladá fronta DNES
Mladá fronta Dnes, also known as MF DNES or simply Dnes , is the second most sold daily newspaper in the Czech Republic. Its name could be translated into English as Youth Front Today...
, the information was proved by contracts found in the city archive. The Foundation is in talks with the City of Prague for the construction of a permanent home for the work.
On 25 July 2010, over a thousand people gathered in Moravský Krumlov to protest against the planned move of The Slav Epic from the town.
List of paintings
The work consists of 20 paintings, up to six metres tall and eight metres wide.| Name | Subtitle | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| Slavs in their Original Homeland | Between the Turanian Whip and the sword of the Goths Goths The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe.... |
8,10 x 6,10 m |
| The Celebration of Svantovit Svantovít Svantovít is male given name. Slavic in origin, it means lord, ruler, winner or warrior.- Another variants :*Slovak: Svantovít*Bosnian: Svetovid*Croatian: Svantovid*Polish: Świętowit- External links :**... |
When Gods Are at War, Salvation is in the Arts | 8,10 x 6,10 m |
| The Introduction of the Slavonic Liturgy Old Church Slavonic Old Church Slavonic or Old Church Slavic was the first literary Slavic language, first developed by the 9th century Byzantine Greek missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius who were credited with standardizing the language and using it for translating the Bible and other Ancient Greek... |
Praise the Lord in Your Native Tongue | 8,10 x 6,10 m |
| The Bulgarian Tsar Simeon Simeon I of Bulgaria Simeon I the Great ruled over Bulgaria from 893 to 927, during the First Bulgarian Empire. Simeon's successful campaigns against the Byzantines, Magyars and Serbs led Bulgaria to its greatest territorial expansion ever, making it the most powerful state in contemporary Eastern Europe... |
The Morning Star of Slavonic Literature | 4,80 x 4,05 m |
| The Bohemian King Přemysl Otakar II | The Union of Slavic Dynasties | 4,80 x 4,05 m |
| The Coronation of the Serbian Tsar Stefan Dušan as East Roman Emperor | The Slavic Code of Law | 4,05 x 4,80 m |
| Jan Milíč Jan Milíc Jan Milíč z Kroměříže , Czech divine, was the most influential among those preachers and writers in Czech lands who, during the 14th century, in a certain sense paved the way for the reforming activity of Jan Hus.- Life :... of Kroměříž Kromeríž Kroměříž is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. The town's main landmark is the Baroque Kroměříž Bishop's Palace, where some scenes from Amadeus and Immortal Beloved were filmed... |
A Brothel Converted to a Convent | 4,05 x 6,20 m |
| Master Jan Hus Jan Hus Jan Hus , often referred to in English as John Hus or John Huss, was a Czech priest, philosopher, reformer, and master at Charles University in Prague... Preaching at the Bethlehem Chapel Bethlehem Chapel The Bethlehem Chapel is a medieval religious building in Prague, Czech Republic notable for its connection with the Czech reformer Jan Hus. It was founded in 1391 by Wenceslas Kriz , and John of Milheim, and taught solely in the Czech vernacular, thus breaking with German domination of the... |
Truth Prevails | 8,10 x 6,10 m |
| The Meeting at Křížky | Sub Utraque Utraquism Utraquism was a Christian dogma first proposed by Jacob of Mies in 1414. It maintained that the Eucharist should be administered "in both kinds" — as both bread and wine — to all the congregation, including the laity... |
4,05 x 6,20 m |
| After the Battle of Grunwald Battle of Grunwald The Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led... |
The Solidarity of the Northern Slavs | 6,10 x 4,05 m |
| After the Battle of Vítkov Hill Battle of Vítkov Hill The Battle of Vítkov Hill was a part of the Hussite Wars. The battle pitted the forces of Emperor Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor against Hussite forces under command of Jan Žižka... |
God Represents Truth, Not Power | 4,80 x 4,05 m |
| Petr Chelčický Petr Chelcický Petr Chelčický was a Christian and political leader and author in 15th century Bohemia .-Chelčický's background:... at Vodňany Vodnany Vodňany is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 7,000 inhabitants.Administrative parts of Vodňany are: Čavyně, Hvožďany, Křtětice, Pražák, Radčice, Újezd, Vodňanské Svobodné Hory, Vodňany I and Vodňany II.... |
Do Not Repay Evil with Evil | 6,20 x 4,05 m |
| The Hussite Hussite The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus , who became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation... King Jiří of Poděbrady George of Podebrady George of Kunštát and Poděbrady , also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad , was King of Bohemia... |
Treaties Are to Be Observed | 4,80 x 4,05 m |
| Defense of Sziget Battle of Szigetvár The Siege of Szigetvár or Battle of Szigeth was a siege of the Szigeth Fortress in Baranya which blocked Suleiman's line of advance towards Vienna in 1566 AD... against the Turks by Nicholas Zrinsky Nikola Šubic Zrinski Nikola Šubić Zrinski , was a Croatian nobleman and general in service of Habsburg Monarchy, ban of Croatia from 1542 to 1556, and member of the Zrinski noble family... |
The Shield of Christendom | 8,10 x 6,10 m |
| The Printing of the Bible of Kralice Bible of Kralice The Bible of Kralice was the first complete translation of the Bible from the original languages into the Czech language. Translated by the Unity of the Brethren and printed in the town of Kralice nad Oslavou, the first edition had six volumes and was published between the years 1579 and 1593... in Ivančice Ivancice Ivančice is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic, 21 km south-west of Brno. The town has approximately 9,300 inhabitants. It lies on the confluence of Oslava , Jihlava and Rokytná rivers.-History:... |
God Gave Us a Gift of Language | 8,10 x 6,10 m |
| The Last days of Jan Amos Komenský in Naarden | A Flicker of Hope | 6,20 x 4,05 m |
| Holy Mount Athos Mount Athos Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the... |
Sheltering the Oldest Orthodox Literary Treasures | 4,80 x 4,05 m |
| The Oath of Omladina Omladina Trial In 1894, the Omladina Trial, convened in the Austro-Hungarian regional capital of Prague, ostensibly placed Czech Anarchism and Anarcho-syndicalism before the court as well as specifically convicting 68 Czech Nationalists of radical activities.... Under the Slavic Linden Tree |
The Slavic Revival | 4,80 x 4,05 m |
| The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia Emancipation reform of 1861 The Emancipation Reform of 1861 in Russia was the first and most important of liberal reforms effected during the reign of Alexander II of Russia. The reform, together with a related reform in 1861, amounted to the liquidation of serf dependence previously suffered by peasants of the Russian Empire... |
Work in Freedom is the Foundation of a State | 8,10 x 6,10 m |
| Apotheosis Apotheosis Apotheosis is the glorification of a subject to divine level. The term has meanings in theology, where it refers to a belief, and in art, where it refers to a genre.In theology, the term apotheosis refers to the idea that an individual has been raised to godlike stature... of the Slavs |
Slavs for Humanity | 4,05 x 4,80 m |