The region will repair Portmoneum in Litomyšl for five million crowns

Pardubice - The Pardubice region will pay five million crowns next year for the repairs of Portmoneum by Josef Váchal in Litomyšl. The museum is also intended to be more attractive for children. This was stated by the deputy governor Roman Línek (KDU-ČSL).

"We have a project developed, I hope that when we distribute the surplus of this year, we will approve funds for Portmoneum as well. We want to utilize the attic space and enhance the garden even more," said Línek.

The house needs repairs, including ensuring its structural stability. The attic is still inaccessible. The monument should also be interesting for children, so they have the opportunity to, for example, paint there; similar spaces are already offered by the Swiss House in Slatiňany in Chrudim region, added Línek.

Graphic artist, painter, and writer Váchal decorated the family house of Josef Portman with drawings in the 1920s. The regional government purchased the museum for 15 million crowns at the end of last year from the heirs of publisher Ladislav Horáček.

It is managed by a regional museum, which has opened a self-service café in the garden this season.

Váchal depicted many spiritual and religious themes on the walls of the house and the furniture. They stem from his life attitudes and opinions on visual art.

Portman wanted to open the house as Váchaleum, a tribute to the artist he admired. The collaboration fell through because Josef Portman improperly used Váchal's printing plates for printing. Portman was not only an art collector, but also engaged in printing as an amateur. They fell out over Váchal's famous Bloody Novel. In it, a miserly Count Portmon appears, who resides in Portmoneum.