Prague did not reach an agreement with the Castle regarding the possible placement of Mucha's Epiphany in the stable

Prague - The leadership of the capital city of Prague did not reach an agreement with representatives of Prague Castle regarding the potential placement of the cycle of the Slav Epic by Alfons Mucha in the Imperial Stable. The reason is that the Castle has renovated the spaces, is using them, and it would be necessary to rebuild them again. However, if a suitable free space were to become available at the Castle and an agreement was reached, the metropolis would place the paintings there. Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09), the deputy mayor, told ČTK today.

The paintings are currently in Moravský Krumlov. Prague is negotiating with Crestyl about their possible temporary placement in the palace on Wenceslas Square, which the company is building. The cycle consists of 20 large canvases that Mucha painted over 18 years starting in 1910.

"The option of placing the epic in the former stable is not realistic. The Castle uses it as a depository and recently renovated it for tens of millions to utilize it in this way, so it is unrealistic to rebuild it again for the exhibition of the epic," said Pospíšil.

Pospíšil informed Chancellor Milan Vašina that if a space were to become available in the Castle complex in the future where the paintings could be permanently placed, Prague would be interested in negotiating the placement of the epic. "If such a space appears, we are interested. We are still negotiating with Crestyl, but that is also a temporary solution," said Pospíšil.

Besides the future palace of the Crestyl company on Wenceslas Square, other potential locations such as the Exhibition Grounds or Holešovice Market have been considered in the past. However, these spaces turned out to be unsuitable. Until the capital city finds a suitable space, the paintings will remain at the castle in Moravský Krumlov, according to the deputy mayor.

Mucha, together with the industrialist Charles R. Crane, who ordered the paintings from the artist, donated the work to Prague upon its completion on the condition that it would provide dignified exhibition spaces. The canvases are currently at the castle in Moravský Krumlov. The loan is agreed upon until 2026.

The epic has long been accompanied by disputes over its ownership. While the painter's relative John Mucha withdrew his lawsuit last year after an agreement with the magistrate, the second heiress Jarmila Mucha Plocková filed her own lawsuit to determine ownership. According to her, the agreement with John Mucha is unfavorable for the city and does not definitively resolve the ownership issue of the epic. Through a preliminary injunction, she sought to ensure that Prague could not conclude a contract with Crestyl until the court decided on her lawsuit regarding ownership. However, the initially approved preliminary injunction was cancelled by the District Court for Prague 1 this February.

The cycle of the Slav Epic consists of 20 large canvases. Permanent spaces for the Slav Epic have been sought in the metropolis since the beginning of the last century.