90 years ago, architect, painter, and ethnographer Jan Koula passed away

Prague - 90 years ago, on May 18, 1919, the renowned Czech architect, painter, and ethnographer Jan Koula passed away. Born in Český Brod (February 7, 1855), Koula was a significant architect of the historicist and folkloric style, but also a respected expert and promoter of folk art, folk architecture, and the applied arts. In addition, he designed sgraffito, engaged in ceramics, contributed to the revival of the glory of Czech cut and engraved glass, designed jewelry, furniture, and collaborated on the conservation of historical monuments.
    His most famous architectural works include the Svatopluk Čech Bridge in Prague, his own family house in Prague - Bubenč, adorned with a number of folkloric motifs, the nearby Sucharda Villa, and the reconstruction of the Renaissance building of the Plzeň Town Hall. His unexecuted project for the exit of the Čech Bridge with an extension to Letná is also well known.
    Koula was also behind the establishment of the Ethnographic Museum within the Prague National Museum, where he was the curator of ethnographic and archaeological collections. He is the author of a two-volume monograph "Memories of the Applied Arts in Bohemia." Among other things, he edited the magazine Architectural Horizon and was a co-founder of the Club for Old Prague. He also excelled as a draftsman and watercolorist.