The World beneath the Surface: The Underground and Its Reflection in Nineteenth-Century Art

The idea of worlds hidden beneath the Earth’s surface has always sparked the human imagination. These worlds have been associated with religious and mythological meanings, as well as with humanity’s desire to explore, discover and conquer this otherwise inaccessible space. The underground has also served as a refuge, providing a place of safety or an arena for ‘secret’ activities that were not meant to be seen. Organised into several thematic units, this exhibition presents the motifs of the underground and underworld in nineteenth-century visual culture. 

It will focus on the phenomenon of caves, both natural and artificial, which formed part of landscape parks and cultural landscapes at the turn of the nineteenth century. Moreover, caves themselves became a subject of artistic interest due to their fascinating landscape features, while, at the same time, their depiction also reflected the beginnings of prehistoric archaeology, speleology and tourism.

Romantic tendencies also fuelled a hitherto unprecedented interest in tales of artificially created underground roads, supposedly connecting different places. The motif of the ‘secret passage’ has even become part of important literary works as well as artistically inferior and ‘decadent’ literature, and has also penetrated the visual arts in the form of illustrations. Nineteenth-century Romanticism also revived other mythological themes associated with the underworld (Blaník Knights, treasures, goblins), which became the subject of depictions.

In addition, the nineteenth century saw the formation of a material counterpart to the aforementioned underground worlds, thanks to urbanisation and industrial development. This counterpart played an important role in contemporary society and included various technical works and the environments of their builders, such as transport tunnels, sewers, brewery cellars and mining works. The forthcoming exhibition will also feature various plans, sections and drawings of these spaces.

The exhibition will explore the visual potential of depicting real underground spaces as well as fantasies of underground worlds. Prints, drawings, paintings and photographs from the ‘Long Nineteenth Century’ frequently employed contrasts of light and shadow, as well as other techniques, to convey the enigmatic nature of the natural, artificial and mythical underground.