Databáze uměleckých výstav v českých zemích 1820 – 1950

The annual exhibition of the Fine Arts Association in Bohemia in 1847 – the last before 1848 – shows that the interest of the Prague public has changed in comparison with the exhibitions of 1839 and 1840. The exhibition catalogue lists 297 works.

Landscape was by far the best-represented genre (over 43%), followed by genre scenes (20%), paintings of animals, fruit, and still lifes (12%). The prestigious genres – history painting (9%), religious painting (6%), and portraits (6%) – were far less popular with the audience. 

Lists of paintings sold are even better indicators of changing public interest. In 1847, 34 out of a total of 296 works found new owners. Two-thirds of the works sold (23 items, or 67.65%) were landscapes. A fifth of the works sold were genre scenes (7 items, or 20.59%), and less than 6% were historical scenes and animal paintings.  The Prague public maintained these preferences, albeit with some variations, for the rest of the 19^th century. 

The critics paid special attention to a painting by Eduard Ihlée, a representative of the Düsseldorf School of Painting, depicting St. Louis founding the hospital in Compiégne (cat. no. 163). Among the local painters, František Čermák received positive reviews for his depiction of a Hussite attack (cat. no. 48) and Karel Svoboda was praised for his take on the theme of Benvenuto Cellini in his workshop (cat. no. 91). The reviewers also took note of the landscape painters Bedřich Havránek and Anton Liehm. The selection of works by international artists was considered somewhat weak: “München ist bis jetzt nicht so stark repräsentiert, als sonst, Frankfurt dagegen mehr, Düsseldorf und Dresden sehr schwach, Wien so gut als gar nicht, Venedig fehlt, ... aus Paris, Brüssel, Hamburg, Rom findet sich einzelnes“ [Anonymous author 1847].

The Czech magazine Květy highlighted the same works as Bohemia, with Svoboda’s painting receiving special attention: “Benvenuto Cellini in His Workshop ... exudes the same dramatic life and displays the same vigour and excellent arrangement that characterize Svoboda’s previous works known to us, testifying to his outstanding ability and foretelling a great future for him” [Mikovec 1847]. The 1847 exhibition confirmed the vitality of Krasoumná jednota’s annual exhibitions and showed that after the initial enthusiasm, the Prague press was able to evaluate the artworks presented with more insight and critical erudition. 

Tomáš Sekyrka

Works Cited

Anonym 1847: Anonym, Bildende Kunst, Bohemia XX, 1847, no. 55, 6. 4, p. 4

Mikovec 1847: Ferdinand Břetislav Mikovec, Umělecká wýstawa v Praze, Květy XIV, 1847, no. 61, 22. 5., p. 244

Further Reading

 Zdeněk Hojda, Kdo nakupoval na výstavách Krasoumné jednoty?, in: Milena Freimanová (ed.), Město v české kultuře 19. století, Praha 1983, pp. 133–153

Roman Prahl – Zdeněk Hojda, Kunstverein nebo / oder Künstlerverein. Hnutí umělců v Praze 1830–1853, Praha 2004

Tomáš Sekyrka, Zrod uměleckých výstav v Praze v první polovině 19. století, Documenta Pragensia 40, 2021, pp. 195–202

Vít Vlnas, Obrazárna v Čechách 1796–1918, Praha 1996

Archival Sources

Archive of the National Gallery in Prague, fonds Společnost vlasteneckých přátel umění [Society of Patriotic Friends of Fine Arts], acc. no. AA AA 1014, 1259, AA 1421, AA 1506; fonds Krasoumná jednota [Fine Arts Association], acc. no. AA 1260.

Anonymous author, Bildende Kunst, Bohemia XX, 1847, no. 55, 6. 4, p. 4

Anonymous author, Pražský denník, Květy XIV, 1847, no. 43, 10. 4., p. 172