Overview
This lavishly illustrated book introduces the world of fin-de-siècle Prague. Around 1900, city's artists and artisans began to develop a particular ornamental language inspired by the contemporary revival of Czech culture and influenced by Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, and the Vienna Secession. To begin with, lyricism and poetic symbolism dominated the visual arts. Jan Preisler, one of the most important figures of the time, created sensual paintings and sculptures based on themes connected to the writings of such Czech authors as Zeyer and Brezina. Other artists such as Kobliha and Hlavácek focused on turbulent forms, dramatic expressions of torment, and the macabre. In the applied arts, exuberant floral and vegetal motifs were gradually transformed into geometric patterns.
Prague 1900 charts the effects of the emergence of modernism and the search for Czech national identity in both the fine and the applied arts, as well as in architecture, music, and literature. The book also includes a wealth of illustrations of interiors, architectural and sculptural details and documentary photographs. Biographies of the most important artists are provided, as well as a full chronology of artists and events.
Synopsis
This lavishly illustrated book introduces the world of fin-de-siècle Prague. Around 1900, city's artists and artisans began to develop a particular ornamental language inspired by the contemporary revival of Czech culture and influenced by Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, and the Vienna Secession. To begin with, lyricism and poetic symbolism dominated the visual arts. Jan Preisler, one of the most important figures of the time, created sensual paintings and sculptures based on themes connected to the writings of such Czech authors as Zeyer and Brezina. Other artists such as Kobliha and Hlavácek focused on turbulent forms, dramatic expressions of torment, and the macabre. In the applied arts, exuberant floral and vegetal motifs were gradually transformed into geometric patterns.
Prague 1900 charts the effects of the emergence of modernism and the search for Czech national identity in both the fine and the applied arts, as well as in architecture, music, and literature. The book also includes a wealth of illustrations of interiors, architectural and sculptural details and documentary photographs. Biographies of the most important artists are provided, as well as a full chronology of artists and events.
Library Journal
This catalog of an exhibit at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, and the Museum of Applied Art, Frankfurt, looks at all the visual arts, as well as literature and music, in what was one of the largest provincial cities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire a century ago. As in other European provincial centers (e.g., Glasgow, Barcelona, or Turin), there was a remarkable cultural efflorescence centered around local pride and emerging nationalism, all tinged with flavorings of such international movements as Symbolism, Art Nouveau, and Expressionism. Other than Alphonse Mucha, most of the artists featured here will be unfamiliar to nonspecialists, but they and their cultural milieu are well presented by a team of Czech authors. Most objects are from Czech collections. The English translations are good, the plates are excellent, and the volume will serve general audiences as a broad introduction while providing the specialist with a wealth of unfamiliar images. Recommended.--Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Libs. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\