Sunday, 18th August
Our last full day in Prague and we wanted to make sure we
did something special – and we did! We went to the National Gallery. This is
housed in a huge modern building that looks like a big ugly office block from
outside, but inside looks sleek and elegant. The centre of the building has been
cleared, so this is a huge high central space of at least six stories, which
gives the building light and a sense of open space.
We thought we would be seeing some 20th
century European art, including 14 Picassos, a Van Gogh, Rodin and Henry Moore
sculptures, a Toulouse-Lautrec, which we did, but we were not expecting to see
much else. That would have been great if that was all that was there, but there
was so much more.
Alfons Mucha’s “Slav Epic” was on display. This is 20 enormous
paintings (a quarter square kilometre of canvas) showing the history of the Slavic
people. Oh my goodness! What a spectacular exhibition. By the end of it we were
almost wishing we were Slavic. If we were, we would have felt immensely proud
of our race and our histories. Alfons Mucha had the idea for the epic very
early in his career and began this amazing work soon after he returned to his Czech
homeland after his success in Paris with his gorgeous Art Nouveau posters,
designs, decorations etc. I was able to take photos (no flash) so have a look. The
photos do not do the work justice, but you will get an idea of the grandeur and
the scale.
Interestingly the Gallery is rarely mentioned in the
guide books, not in Rick Steves anyway, and in my little Top 10 Prague book, it
is listed as something to do on a rainy day. If you are coming to Prague,
before you wend your way through the crowds on Charles Bridge and the castle,
and maybe after you have been to the Old Town Square, go to the National
Gallery – there are several locations, but
the one you MUST go to is at the Veletrezni Palace, the collection of Modern
and Contemporary Art. This and the Alfons Mucha Museum have been my highlights
in Prague.
We rode the tram back to the hotel, taking a detour out
to the ‘burbs in a different direction along the river, enjoying the scenery along
the way.
We found a beer hall for dinner, Dick had the goulash and
cabbage salad and I had a pork schnitzel, a beer or two each for under $30.
Excellent! After dinner we strolled around to a festival on Wenceslas Square, with
Czech singers, rock bands and other entertainers.
Our last full day in Prague was a great one. Prague is a fantastic
place, with a friendly, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. We have loved it!
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