A newly opened exhibition in Klatovy, Czech Republic, showcases teh work of 19th-century painter Václav Brožík, bringing together over 80 pieces-many never before displayed in his home country-from collections around the globe. The show, on view at the Gallery Klatovy/Klenová’s White Unicorn Gallery through April 5th, offers a rare prospect to view the paintings of an artist who enjoyed international acclaim during his lifetime and whose work is increasingly recognized today. assembled through notable collaboration wiht private owners-some of whom even sponsored the exhibition-the collection highlights Brožík’s skill in both historical and intimate portraiture.
A remarkable exhibition featuring over 80 rarely seen works by 19th-century Czech painter Václav Brožík has opened in Klatovy, offering a unique glimpse into the career of an artist who achieved international acclaim during his lifetime.
The collection, assembled through loans from private collectors and institutions worldwide, is on display at the Gallery Klatovy/Klenová’s White Unicorn Gallery and will run through April 5th. Many of the pieces have never before been exhibited in the Czech Republic.
“Some of these paintings have never been shown in the Czech Republic before,” says Hana Kristová, director of the Gallery Klatovy/Klenová. “We communicated with private collectors and organizations who own the paintings. Everything is a loan; we don’t own any Brožík works ourselves.”
Securing the exhibition wasn’t easy. Owners were eager to lend their pieces, with two even contributing sponsorships to the project. Kristová notes that the show is a significant undertaking for the institution, particularly due to the high cost of insuring the valuable artworks. “I expect a lot of visitors, because this is a classic that people here want to see,” she says.
Born into a modest family in Železný Hamr near Plzeň in 1851, Brožík rose to prominence thanks to a generous patron who enabled him to study at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts. He further honed his skills at academies in Dresden and Munich before achieving widespread recognition in France.
Brožík’s breakthrough came in 1878 when he exhibited at the Salon in Paris, winning a gold medal. He married the daughter of a wealthy art dealer and divided his time between Paris and Prague, returning to the Czech capital in 1893 as a successful portrait and historical painter. He took a professorship of figure painting at the Academy of Fine Arts. He was also appointed a member of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Arts, as well as the Paris Academy of Arts, and was elevated to the nobility late in the 19th century.
Foto: Profimedia.cz
Brožík was among a select group of Czech artists to receive recognition during his lifetime. He created the series “Three Times of the Czech Lands” for the royal box at the National Theatre and also contributed to the decoration of the representative rooms of Prague Castle. His two most famous large-scale paintings, “Master Jan Hus Before the Council of Constance” and “The Election of George of Poděbrady as King of Bohemia,” still hang prominently at Prague’s Old Town Hall.
The artist skillfully tackled smaller formats as well, including portraits, landscapes, and scenes of social and rural life. His work is characterized by its technical perfection. While he excelled in historical painting, a style that peaked in the mid-19th century, Brožík continued to work in the genre even as European art centers embraced modern movements. Some of his students even dismissed his work, labeling him a painter of “perfectly executed aristocratic boots.”
Brožík died in Paris in 1901 and is buried in the Montmartre Cemetery. Shortly after his death, he began to be seen as a salon and bourgeois artist. It wasn’t until the late 20th century, with renewed interest in 19th-century art history, that his work regained prominence. Today, his paintings are among the most sought-after works by Czech artists of the 19th century at auction.
A major retrospective of Brožík’s work at Prague’s Valdštejnská Riding School in 2003 drew unprecedented crowds, requiring a three-time extension and ultimately attracting over 71,000 visitors. It was the first comprehensive exhibition of his work since 1928, featuring 184 paintings including monumental historical canvases like “The Wedding Message of the Czech King Ladislaus to the French Court of King Charles VII” and “The Condemnation of Master Jan Hus at the Council of Constance.”
Many of Brožík’s most important works are now held in private European and American collections. “And it’s these works, which are returning to the Czech Republic after more than a hundred years in some cases, that we want to present to the widest possible audience,” says curator Šárka Leubnerová.
“We previously knew many of them only from the catalog of the famous Wanamaker American collection of Brožík’s paintings from 1902 or from the pictures in period magazines like Světozor and Zlatá Praha. Now we have a unique opportunity, thanks to the kind loan from their current owners, to see these works again here,” she concludes.
