Culture of the Czech Republic

Peter Parler's contributions to gothic Prague, Benedikt Rejt's late gothic deconstructivistic work, father and son Dietzenhofers' baroque works, Santini's unique baroque style, Fanta's and Polívka's Art Nouveau landmarks of the early 20th century Prague, Rondocubist attempts of Gočár and Janák at creating a distinct national style for the new Czechoslovak Republic – all of these are great examples of the rich architectural tradition of the Czech lands.

Another notable Czech gothic artist is Master Theodoric, a court painter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and his work in Karlštejn.

Karel Škréta's portraits, Wenceslaus Hollar's engravings and etchings or Ferdinand Brokoff's statues on Charles Bridge belong among the best examples of Czech baroque art.

One of the most prominent Czech romanticist painters was Josef Mánes, whose pupil was the versatile draftsman, illustrator and facade decorator Mikoláš Aleš.

In the 1960s – leading up to the Prague Spring of 1968 – the Czechoslovak New Wave emerged, led by directors like Miloš Forman, Věra Chytilová or Jiří Menzel.

Miloš Forman managed to flee before the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and continued his career in the United States, where he reached high critical acclaim and received two Academy Awards for Best Director for his movies One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and Amadeus (1984).

[9] A contemporary director Jan Svěrák is another laureate of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, which he received for his drama Kolya in 1996.

Traditional main courses in Czech cuisine are mostly meat-based, often accompanied by a sauce or a gravy with a side dish of dumplings or potatoes.

The traditional Christmas dinner consists of a fried Czech carp and a potato salad, but many people replace it with a chicken or pork schnitzel.

After a late morning start the main meal of the day is prepared, which should include pork for good luck and lentils for prosperity in the new year.

He was also a great inspiration for Bedřich Smetana, who is generally considered one of the most influential Czech composers of 19th century classical music together with Antonín Dvořák and Leoš Janáček.

Of these three, the one best known internationally is Antonín Dvořák, being well received in the Great Britain[14] and spending three years in the US as the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City.

Among the Czech musicians of the 20th century, Karel Gott stands out the most, being the 42 times winner of the Golden Nightingale for the best male singer.