Olomouc Picture Gallery IV | European Painting of the 19th Century
25 / 2 – 25 / 9 / 2016
Olomouc Archdiocesan Museum
CONCEPTION: Marie Mžyková, Martina Potůčková
CURATOR: Martina Potůčková
EXHIBITION DESIGN: Martina Potůčková, Marie Mžyková, Marek Novák
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Beata Rakowská
RESTORATION: Šárka Bergerová, Petr Berger, Marie Dočekalová, Dalibor Sedlák, Eliška Sklenářová, Veronika Wanková
CONSERVATION AND ADJUSTMENT: Dalibor Sedlák, Veronika Wanková, Ondřej Žák
INSTALLATION: Vlastimil Sedláček, Filip Šindelář, Ondřej Žák
PROMOTION: Petr Bielesz
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES: Hana Lamatová, Michaela Soukupová
TRANSLATION: Eva Kubáčová
THE WORKS OF ART WERE KINDLY LOANED BY: Arcibiskupský zámek v Kroměříži, Arcibiskupství olomoucké, Vlastivědné muzeum v Šumperku
The exhibition is held under the auspices of H. E. Mons. Jan Graubner, Archbishop of Olomouc and Metropolitan of Moravia
Olomouc Picture Gallery IV completes a series of successful exhibitions previously dedicated to Italian, Netherlandish and Central European painting. The aim of the project is to expertly research, publish and display the Olomouc collection of 19th century paintings. European painting of the 19th century represents the most extensive part of the Olomouc collection of old art. Similarly to the previous exhibitions, the paintings come mostly from the collection of the Olomouc Archbishopric, the museums collection of old art and a prominent private collection on loan to the Olomouc Museum of Art. The composition and artistic scope of these collections are the natural result of the historical process involving the initiatory skills and acquisition opportunities.
Preparation of the exhibition and its catalogue (both a Czech and an English version) was a great opportunity to properly research the collection, which resulted in new discoveries and findings regarding the authorship, date of origin, theme and provenance of the paintings involved. Last but not least, it allowed us to present this interesting collection to the public.
This exhibition represents a selection of the best works of Czech, Moravian, German, Austrian as well as French, Italian and Spanish painters. The selection features various motifs, specifically: landscapes; vedute; still lifes; biblical, mythological, historic and genre scenes; portraits and allegories. From the numerous important artists and their paintings involved in the exhibition, we can mention the socially aware painting by Vojtěch Bartoněk called Patrol’s Catch or Václav Brožík’s Death of St Irene which dramatically depicts the topic of noble love and tragic destiny. The exhibition also presents a high-quality female nude Toilet by Gustav Courbet (?) – who has not yet been confirmed as its painter – and Portrait of a Girl by Vojtěch Hynais which is dedicated to the painter’s friend Doctor Émile Valtat. Among the many landscape painters, there are also Bedřich Havránek and his Cottage Under a Hill, depicting a charming atmosphere of a landscape set in the foothills, Antonín Chittussi and his masterpieces On Troja Island and Landscape in Fontainebleau and Julius Mařák and his Birch Wood which captures almost a documentary-style rendition of a small grove in a slope. We can also mention Antonín Slavíček and his painting In the Garden (From Okoř) with the stunning atmosphere of a sunny summer day. Finally, we can list several other painters whose works are also displayed: Jacob Alt, Josef Čapek, Daniel Hernández Morillo, Adolf Hölzel, Beneš Knüpfer, Eduard Peithner von Lichtenfels, Hans Makart, Josef Mánes, Julius Eduard Mařák, Luděk Marold, Gabriel von Max, Alfons Mucha, August Bedřich Piepenhagen, Jan Preisler, Jakub Schikaneder, Antonín Slavíček, Joža Uprka and many others.