Czech art

The Czech lands have produced several important finds of prehistoric art, notably the Venus of Dolní Věstonice, a pottery Venus figurine of a nude female dated to 29,000–25,000 BC, and a distinct style of Celtic art.

After the Thirty Years War, when the largely non-Catholic Czech lands were returned to Catholic Habsburg control, a massive propaganda effort by the church has left rich remains of Baroque art and architecture.

The phases of the development of Gothic art in the Czech lands are often named after the Bohemian ruling dynasty of the corresponding time: The first recognisable period of Czech art is the International Gothic period, in which Charles IV had made the Crown of Bohemia, and Prague in particular, the centre of power of the Holy Roman Empire.

Master Theodoricus is one of the first Czech artists that we know by name and is credited with the decoration of the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Karlštejn Castle.

However, he considered his masterpiece to be the Slav Epic, a visual exploration of the history of the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe.

It was founded in 1887 in Prague and fostered links between Czech artists with the international arts scene.

He was widely regarded during his own lifetime and he was one of the few artists who was accepted by the Communist regime and was often commissioned by the government for official portraits.

František Kupka is probably the most internationally recognised Czech artist from the period and his work continued to evolve past Cubism, eventually establishing himself as an early pioneer of abstract art.

[8] The main centre for the display of Czech art from the 19th century is St. George's Convent, Prague.