Slavonic Epic will travel to Moravský Krumlov for about five years

Prague - The Slav Epic by Alfons Mucha will likely be transferred to the castle in Moravský Krumlov for at least five years, where the cycle will remain until Prague has its own building for it. This was approved by the council of the capital city today, and its decision still needs to be confirmed by the city assembly. The mayor of the Moravian town, Tomáš Třetina (TOP 09), welcomed the decision and told ČTK that if approved, people could view the paintings in the castle from June or July of next year. Prague still does not have clarity on where to build its own hall for the paintings, considering several options.

According to the councilor for culture, Hana Třeštíková (Praha Sobě), the main reason for the temporary relocation of the paintings is time - Moravský Krumlov is capable of exhibiting the cycle within less than a year, unlike the capital city. This gives Prague time to decisively decide on a permanent solution and begin preparations, the councilor added.

The series of paintings consists of 20 large canvases that Mucha painted from 1910 over the following 18 years and dedicated them to Prague, on the condition that an exhibition hall is built for them. Since 2010, the Epic has been a cultural monument. The paintings are currently in the depositary of the Gallery of the Capital City (GHM).

The cycle has already been exhibited in the Moravian castle from the 1960s until 2011. The town of Moravský Krumlov purchased the castle in 2016, intends to renovate it, and has applied for a grant. According to Mayor Třetina, the town can begin preparations for the installation if Prague’s councilors approve the loan. "The exhibition spaces are prepared and renovated, we just need to install lighting and climate control units to maintain temperature and humidity," he told ČTK today.

Prague has been considering where to permanently place the paintings for some time. Recently, discussions have revolved around a temporary location at the Zbraslav castle, and Prague 2 proposed displaying it at the Vyšehrad train station. In the past, the city planned to build a separate pavilion for the paintings, either in Letná behind the Ministry of the Interior or at Těšnov. Most recently, Prague planned to reconstruct the Lapidarium at the Exhibition Grounds, but the current administration has suspended the original reconstruction plan with an extension for the Epic.

According to Třeštíková, a workshop will be held on November 8, where representatives of the city and experts will evaluate all options ranging from new construction to utilizing an existing building owned by the municipality or purchasing a new one. The result of the workshop should be a list of about five most suitable locations, which the councilor is to present to the council as informational material by the end of February next year.

Prague is facing a lawsuit from the painter's relative, John Mucha, who claims that the city never became the owner of the cycle because it failed to meet the author's condition of building separate exhibition spaces. The court is expected to decide on the dispute this Wednesday.

The first 11 canvases of the Epic were exhibited in 1919 at the Clementinum in Prague and enjoyed success at exhibitions in New York and Chicago from 1920 to 1921. The entire Epic was first exhibited in 1928 at the Trade Fair Palace in Prague, and the paintings came under the administration of the Gallery of the Capital City of Prague. In 1933, the canvases were rolled up and stored in a depository. It was not until 1963 that they were exhibited again at the castle in Moravský Krumlov. However, after 1989, the castle, which previously housed a railway school among other things, fell into disrepair.