Mucha Museum – Alfons Mucha
Anybody that knows me will be aware of my interests in art and architecture. On the “art” side I’ve written about Alfons Mucha as a person, his impact on the Municipal House, a 5-post breakdown of his most famous work, the Slav Epic. I’ve seen the entire Slav Epic exhibited in Prague. I’ve been to Zbiroh Castle where the Slav Epic was actually painted. I’ve been to the Lord Mayors Salon at the Municipal House and several National Gallery exhibitions of his work. But I’d never been to the Mucha Museum before now.
Entering the Mucha Museum
The Mucha Museum opened in 1998 and covers 500 square metres. It’s a little odd when you first walk in because the museum shop is on your left and what you think is the ticket desk is actually security. You are encouraged to use the free lockers for bags/jackets etc. You proceed to the ticket desk. Note that if you are also going to the Kafka Museum then you can get 50% off that ticket if you buy at the same time as the Mucha Museum ticket.
Video of a Visit to the Mucha Museum
The Exhibition Guides
There are two guide/programs. At the time of writing the basic one is CZK50, the exhibition guide is CZK150. Almost everything in the Mucha Museum is translated into English and Czech so being English I thought that it was not necessary to buy the more expensive guide to enjoy the exhibits because everything in the guide is also written on the information plaques as you walk through various sections of the Museum. But the CZK150 version pictured makes a nice souvenir and in other languages it would be a good aid for people who don’t read Czech or English.
Mucha Museum Content
If you’re expecting a lot about the Slav Epic then you’ll be disappointed. You find some photo-studies, graphic illustrations and pictures of the Slav Epic being displayed but that’s it. You are coming to the Mucha Museum primarily to admire the art of Alfons Mucha as the illustrator rather than the painter. There are examples of his graphic illustration work from the Sarah Bernhardt period (1890s) right up to his designs for stamps and currency for what had become Czechoslovakia (post-WW1). There are Parisien newspaper clips of the time, lots of notebooks and papers with drawings/studies that you’ll recognise in his works.
The Mucha Museum Cinema
The cinema is actually at the back of the museum but in my mind I think that if you watch the biography of Alfons Mucha first (it takes about 30 minutes) then you’ll get more out of the overall exhibition.
My Thoughts
On the positive side I thought that the cinema part was excellent and really gave an accurate summary of his life. I thought the Mucha Museum collection was balanced apart from the almost total absence of Slav Epic items. I thought it was well laid out and gave people the space to spend time taking a closer look at the illustrations. The collection displays a wide range of drawing/colouring techniques so if you treat everything as art and ask no questions about political and sociological influences then you’ll enjoy it.
On the negative side I thought it could do with a few benches to let people rest and admire the work (the only place to sit is in the cinema). The exhibits and the exhibition guide have very basic descriptions so if you are looking for interpretations of the work like the figures he uses, floral decoration, language and any form of Slavic cultural references then it’s best to read up on that before you come here.
Address: Panská 7
Something Related or a Few Minutes Away
Trips from Prague – Zbiroh Castle
Films/Videos – Prague and the Bourne Identity