Josef Mánes is one of the most important Czech artists of the 19th century. His oeuvre is characterised by its extraordinary breadth and quality – it includes works intended for public space and works of a distinctly intimate character; works that are timeless and works that are quite topical; images, landscapes, allegories; canvases, drawings, and prints. The exhibition presents the key areas of Mánes’ work and complements them with comparative material covering both the work of his Czech contemporaries and foreign artists who influenced the Czech environment. The overall picture is completed by excerpts from Mánes’s correspondence, texts of his time, photographs and, last but not least, information about new discoveries made during the restoration research of Mánes’s works.
Another aim is to look beneath the layer of decades-old stereotypes associated with Mánes’s work. A significant part of the exhibition therefore consists of the reception of Mánes’s work after his death, when he first became an icon of the National Theatre generation. Towards the end of the 19th century, his name was used for an association of artists who were turning to new artistic directions. In the 20th century, the “myth of Mánes” transformed from the national revivalist conception of the first half of the century to the ideologisation of the artist within the framework of socialist realism.
The exhibition features more than 400 exhibits from 25 public institutions and private collections, including the original calendar plate of the Prague Astronomical Clock from the collections of the Museum of the City of Prague.

The exhibition’s structure is well arranged, non-showy, with a space clearly divided by exhibition panels. The exhibition area consists of five sections, each consisting of several segments in accordance with the curator’s intent.

The passage through the exhibition is linear. After viewing one entire section, the visitor continues to the next one, walking through a gate. The space is organized around a central axis with passageways running through the gates between the sections and with exhibition panels featuring the graphics and texts introducing the individual sections. The areas underneath and up on the balcony are the only exceptions featuring an atypical design based on the actual spatial possibilities.

The Creators’ Principles

Visitor Appeal – the exhibition is designed to reach the widest audience. It includes a path for children with paintings installed at their eye level, benches with art activities, and an interactive zone The Life of Josef Mánes in a Nutshell on the balcony.

Expertise – despite its attraction, the exhibition does not renounce the high standard of expertise and presents the information at several overlapping levels – from the plainly descriptive to explanatory and expert research ones.

Visual Aspect – the exhibition is artistically winsome, with functional and good-taste architecture as well as the design of components that do not eclipse the art on display.

Context – the life and work of the artist are not only presented from the perspective of his time, but also in the future “life after life” context, spanning to the present day.

Contemporary Aspect – the exhibition incorporates the latest visual concepts, using the cutting-edge presentation techniques.

Comfort – the legible texts, clear arrangement, sufficient space, and rest areas both inside the exhibition and in other public areas make the visit user-friendly.

The exhibition walls are made of chipboard / MDF panels; showcases and other movable objects are made of MDF panels and Plexiglas. Furthermore, audio-visual equipment (touch screens, LCD monitors) is installed at the exhibition. The interactive zone structures are made of squared timber, plywood, and textiles.