Databáze uměleckých výstav v českých zemích 1820 – 1950

The exhibition of Paul Delaroche's sensational painting, Napoleon at Fontainebleau (1845), organized by the Krasoumná jednota (Fine Arts Association) as part of its annual show in 1851, was the first of its kind in Prague. The concept of presenting a single famous artwork, either as part of a larger exhibition or on its own, first emerged in London in the late 18th century and remained popular throughout the 19th century. These exhibitions showcased a renowned piece of art, typically a large-scale history painting, to the broadest possible audience. They were ticketed, widely advertised events.

In the second quarter of the 19th century, sensational paintings were becoming an increasingly common feature of established Central European art shows, providing a welcome element of novelty. Representatives of the Fine Arts Association in Prague followed the latest European exhibition trends and attempted to adapt their approach accordingly. However, they struggled to find suitable exhibition spaces that would allow them to incorporate these special shows into the association’s annual exhibitions or host them independently. From the 1840s onwards, Count Clam-Gallas partly solved this problem by providing space in his palace. In 1851, he offered the association two additional rooms on the first floor of the palace, enabling them to expand the scope of the exhibition and, most importantly, include Delaroche's painting, which was then touring various artistic centres in Europe.

The painting Napoleon at Fontainebleau by the French artist Paul Delaroche, which was in the possession of the Leipzig Consul General Schletter, had begun its exhibition tour in the spring of 1851. It first appeared at an exhibition in Vienna, where it attracted more than 900 visitors daily [Anonymous author, 1851]. Franz Thun-Hohenstein, the executive director of Prague’s Fine Arts Association at the time, organized the painting’s stopover in Prague. First, however, the rooms on the first floor of the Clam-Gallas Palace had to be adapted to meet the conditions set by Schletter. These included placing the painting in a separate room and using cloth curtains to block direct sunlight. The same conditions also applied to the Vienna exhibition, and so the curtains, as well as additional cloth and cords, were sent from Vienna to Prague [Bericht 1851, p. 6]. There, Christian Ruben was entrusted with installing the painting.

That year, the annual exhibition of the Fine Arts Association was open to the public on April 21. As Delaroche's Napoleon was still in Vienna (and due to the preparation of a suitable space), the organizers chose the weekend of May 9 and 10 for the painting’s installation – so the Prague public could see it for the first time on Monday May 11. From the very beginning, the painting was a sensation. Even “people who had never been interested in any painting in their lives literally besieged the entrance, and the words ‘Napoleon’ and ‘Delaroche’ passed from mouth to mouth without ceasing” [B. 1851, p. 3]. A Bohemia contributor publishing under the initial B. captured the experience of visiting the Clam-Gallas Palace with these words: “at first glance, it was clear that the measures taken were effective. …It is as if you were in an anteroom, watching the powerful man in one of the most important phases of his life.” [B. 1851, p. 3]

According to the original reports, Napoleon at Fontainebleau was only supposed to be loaned to the exhibition until the end of May. However, it was ultimately decided that the painting would remain there until the exhibition's closing on June 8, 1851 – a week later than originally planned. Since the painting's installation, attendance at the Prague annual exhibition increased threefold, reaching a record 29,000 visitors compared to usual numbers. This made it the most visited exhibition in the history of the Fine Arts Association [Vlnas 1996, p. 196]. Although the profit from the admission was not the sole purpose of the exhibition, as František Thun-Hohenstein, the association’s executive director, stated in the annual report, it was a signal for the Fine Arts Association to continue trying to acquire adequate exhibition space that would enable similar extraordinary art shows to be held outside the regular spring season.

Lucie Česká

Works Cited

Anonymous author 1851: Anonymous author, Die Einnahme der permanenten Kunstausstellung, Prager Zeitung XXVI, 1851, no. 70, 23. 3., p. 1

B. 1851: B., Die Kunstausstellung des Jahres 1851 zu Prag (Fortsetzung), Bohemia XXIV, 1851, no. 75, 13. 5., pp. 3–4

Bericht 1851: Bericht über die Wirksamkeit des Kunst-Vereins für Böhmen, für das Jahr 1851–1852, Archiv Národní galerie v Praze, fond SVPU, Zprávy o činnosti, AA 1259

Vlnas 1996: Vít Vlnas, Obrazárna v Čechách 1796–1918 (exh. cat.), Národní galerie v Praze 1996

Further Reading

Lucie Česká, Cesta galeristy a jednoho obrazu. Mikoláš Lehmann a evropské výstavní turné s obrazem Veraikon Gabriela Maxe, in: Zdeněk Hojda – Eva Bendová (ed.), Léta putování. Lidé na cestě v dlouhém 19. století, Praha 2024, pp. 300–310

Christian Torner, Ausstellungen einzelner Gemälde vom späten 18. bis zum Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte bürgerlicher Kunst, Kultur und Mentalität in Europa (PhD. Dissertation), European University Institute, Florence 1997

Archival Sources

Bericht über die Wirksamkeit des Kunst-Vereins für Böhmen, für das Jahr 1851–1852, Archive of the National Gallery in Prague, fonds SVPU, Zprávy o činnosti [Activity Reports], AA 1259

Anonymous author, Soeben ist das mit Recht so berühmte Bild, Prager Zeitung XXVI, 1851, no. 105, 4. 5., p. 4

Anonymous author, Slavný obraz Napoleona, Lumír II, 1851, č. 14, 8. 5., p. 336

Anonymous author, Wegen der Ausstellung, Prager Zeitung XXVI, 1851, no. 109, 9. 5., p. 4

Anonymous author, Von der Geschäftsführung des Prager Kunstvereins, Prager Zeitung XXVI, 1851, no. 121, 23. 5., p. 4

Anonymous author, Die Geschäftsführung des Kunstvereins für Böhmen, Prager Zeitung XXVI, 1851, no. 129, 1. 6., p. 4

B., Die Kunstausstellung des Jahres 1851 zu Prag (Fortsetzung), Bohemia XXIV, 1851, no. 77, 16. 5., p. 4