The Mucha Museum is a museum in Prague, Czech Republic, housing a collection of works by Alphonse Mucha. It is operated by the Mucha Foundation.
History
Having operated in Kounice Palace since 1998,[1] the Mucha Foundation sought to find a new location for the gallery, as the size of the old premises caused crowding issues.[2] The chosen site was a section of the historic Savarin Palace, double the size of the previous site.[2][3] The Palace Complex was being renovated by real estate developer Crestyl, led by architect Thomas Heatherwick.[3] The section of the palace occupied by the Mucha Museum was remodeled by Czech architect Eva Jiřičná.[2][4] The museum opened on February 14, 2025,[5] after several delays.[6]
Dispute with Kounice Palace museum
Sebastian Pawlowski, director of the Mucha Museum in Kounice Palace stated that he would not be moving location, and the Savarin Palace location was a separate project.[3] By May 2024, the Mucha Foundation had fully cut ties with Pawlowski, and stated any exhibitions at the Mucha Museum in Kounice Palace were unauthorized.[4] The Mucha Foundation claimed that they terminated their contract with Pawlowski, who they state owed several million koruna and had kept the paintings in conditions which could have damaged them.[6]
The termination of the contract triggered several intellectual property disputes, as the Mucha Foundation claims it was what allowed the museum to use its name.[6] Pawlowski stated "it is probably for the new place in Palace Savarin to wonder if it has the right to call itself the same as the original",[3] while Mucha Foundation representative Simona Kordova claims that Pawlowski is breaking the law.[6]
Collection
The first exhibition at the museum is titled "Art Nouveau and Utopia", overseen by Eva Jiricna and designed by Tomoko Sato.[6] Notable works include Princess Hyacinth, the Seasons cycle, and Zodiac.[5]
Gallery
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Zodiac, 1869 -
Spring, 1896 -
Summer, 1896 -
Autumn, 1896 -
Winter, 1896 -
Princess Hyacinth, 1911
References
- ^ Vaughan, David; Goodson, Patricia (2005-07-05). "Geraldine Mucha: still composing at 88 and guarding the legacy of the most famous painter in Czech history". Czech Radio. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ a b c Fraňková, Ruth (2024-11-07). "Historic Savarin Palace to become permanent home of Alfons Mucha Museum". Czech Radio. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ a b c d Unwin, Richard (2024-11-08). "Prague to get new museum dedicated to Alphonse Mucha". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ a b Villa, Angelica (2024-11-08). "Mucha Museum to Relocate to Renovated Palace in Prague". ARTnews. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ a b Long, Felicity. "Mucha Museum debuts in Prague". www.travelweekly.com. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ a b c d e Eisenchteter, Jules (2025-03-04). "A Tale of Two Museums: Epic Battle Rages over Legacy of Czech Artist Mucha". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
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