The Risk of Loyalty? Austrian, German and Czech Cultural Loaylties in 19th century Czech Art

18/02/2015 - 17/05/2015
exhibition hall
Autor: 
Taťána Petrasová
Kurátor: 
Marcela Štýbrová

Works of art are usually connected with the creative process, to a great extent represented by free imagination. The origins of modern styles are thus demonstrated mostly by works that were not commissioned and were offered via exhibitions, social contacts or through gallerists. However, identity search and therefore artworks fulfilling the function of state, community, religious or dynastic representation belong to the modern tradition as well. Transpersonal liabilities of loyalty stood out in the context of certain publishing activities such as Die Österreichisch-ungarische Monarchie in Wort und Bild (1896).

In other cases they reflected spontaneously the artist´s identification with a certain landscape as a symbolic image of the state. The exhibition presents works of art by well-known founders of the 19th century Czech art: Josef Zítek, Julius Mařák, František Ženíšek and Josef Mánes, official authors and outsiders of the Habsburg court, as well as publishing activities from the point of view of political, religious, communal, professional, dynastic or civil loyalty.  The exposition is a contribution to the programme of the 35th Pilsen Symposium on 19th Century Issues that takes place on 26 - 28 February 2015 under the title of „Invisible Loyalty? Austrians, Germans and Czechs in the 19th century Czech Culture”.