Mucha Museum

Mucha Museum
Muchovo muzeum
Kounice Palace
Map
Established13 February 1998
LocationKounice Palace [cs], Prague, Czech Republic
Coordinates50°5′3.7″N 14°25′39.3″E / 50.084361°N 14.427583°E / 50.084361; 14.427583
TypeArt museum
DirectorSebastian Pawlowski
Websitewww.mucha.cz

The Mucha Museum is a museum in Prague, Czech Republic, housing a collection of works by Alphonse Mucha.

History

According to Geraldine Mucha, the original idea for the Mucha Museum came after the Velvet Revolution. A Swiss entrepreneur had bought and renovated Kounice Palace [cs], under condition from the Prague government it be used for a cultural purpose. He approached Geraldine Mucha with the idea for a gallery of Mucha works.[1] The museum was opened in 1998 by the Mucha Foundation, containing works exclusively from the Mucha Trust Collection.[2]

Split with the Mucha Foundation

The Mucha Foundation eventually sought to find a new location for the gallery, as the size of the old premises caused crowding issues.[3] The chosen site was a section of the historic Savarin Palace double the size of the current site.[3][4] The Palace Complex was being renovated by real estate developer Crestyl, led by architect Thomas Heatherwick.[4] The section of the palace set for the Mucha Museum was remodeled by Czech architect Eva Jiřičná.[3][5]

At the new site, previously unexhibited Mucha works will be presented, including draft sketches for the Slav Epic.[4] The new location will have an exhibition space of 1,100 square metres (12,000 sq ft), and is set to open on 24 January 2025.[3][5]

Sebastian Pawlowski, director of the Mucha Museum stated that he would not be moving location, and the Savarin Palace location was a separate project. When asked if he had the right to continue using the name, he stated "it is probably for the new place in Palace Savarin to wonder if it has the right to call itself the same as the original".[4] By May 2024, the Mucha Foundation had fully cut ties with Pawlowski, and stated any exhibitions at the Mucha Museum were unauthorized.[5]

Collection

The gallery primarily contains works from Mucha's later period, and holds objects from Mucha's studio.[2] Collections include The Four Arts cycle, The Four Times of the Day, The Four Seasons, several original poster prints, and several original advertisement prints.[6]

Selected works
  • Zodiac, 1869
    Zodiac, 1869
  • Spring, 1896
    Spring, 1896
  • Summer, 1896
    Summer, 1896
  • Autumn, 1896
    Autumn, 1896
  • Winter, 1896
    Winter, 1896
  • Gismonda, 1894
    Gismonda, 1894
  • Medee, 1894
    Medee, 1894
  • Monaco Monte Carlo, 1897
    Monaco Monte Carlo, 1897

References

  1. ^ Vaughan & Goodson 2005.
  2. ^ a b Mucha Foundation 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d Fraňková 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Unwin 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Villa 2024.
  6. ^ Mucha Museum.

Citations

  • "Mucha Museum". Mucha Foundation. Archived from the original on 2014-09-22. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  • "Exhibition". Mucha Museum. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  • Vaughan, David; Goodson, Patricia (2005-07-05). "Geraldine Mucha: still composing at 88 and guarding the legacy of the most famous painter in Czech history". Czech Radio. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  • Lysková, Taťána (2022-02-11). "Slovanská epopej bude v paláci Savarin. Praha se dohodla s dědici" [The Slav Epic will be in the Savarin Palace. Prague agreed with the heirs]. Forbes (in Czech). Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  • "V Praze budou dvě expozice Muchových děl: Trestní oznámení kvůli výstavě v Savarinu!" [There will be two exhibitions of Mucha's works in Prague: Criminal complaint due to the exhibition in Savarin!]. Blesk (in Czech). 2024-11-05. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  • Fraňková, Ruth (2024-11-07). "Historic Savarin Palace to become permanent home of Alfons Mucha Museum". Czech Radio. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  • Villa, Angelica (2024-11-08). "Mucha Museum to Relocate to Renovated Palace in Prague". ARTnews. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  • Unwin, Richard (2024-11-08). "Prague to get new museum dedicated to Alphonse Mucha". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 2024-12-10.