The relocation of the Slav Epic has been delayed due to reconstruction

Prague/Moravský Krumlov – The loan of 20 canvases from Alphonse Mucha's cycle Slavic Epic to the castle in Moravský Krumlov has been postponed. The reason is the extension of the reconstruction of the exhibition spaces. It was originally supposed to be completed by the end of June, but the deadline has now been extended to the end of the year. The postponement was decided by Prague city councilors today. The paintings were exhibited in Krumlov from the 1950s until 2011 when they were taken away by the then leadership of the capital city.

The cycle of paintings consists of 20 large canvases that Mucha painted from 1910 over the next 18 years and dedicated to Prague. Since 2010, the Epic has been a cultural monument. The paintings are currently stored in the depository of the Gallery of the Capital City of Prague (GHMP).

The loan of the paintings, which Prague owns based on the painter's will, was approved by the councilors last October. The loan is supposed to last five years, during which the Prague City Hall should prepare its own spaces for the display of the canvases. They are now selecting the most suitable among several proposed locations.

The location in spaces constructed by the city was the author’s condition for leaving them to Prague; referring to its non-fulfillment, the painter's relative Jiří Mucha has sued the city. Courts have been dealing with the lawsuit for several years now.

The mayor of Moravský Krumlov, Tomáš Třetina (TOP 09), told ČTK that the gallery parts in the castle will be completed by mid-November at the latest. "After that, we will start a trial operation, and I hope that we will have the Epic here in February or March. I was not aware of the council’s decision, but I do not perceive it negatively. It is just an administrative measure. If necessary, I am prepared to come to the council meeting," Třetina stated. Repairs to other parts of the castle will continue until next year. According to Třetina, however, construction work will not limit the exhibition.

The first 11 canvases of the Epic were exhibited in 1919 at the Klementinum in Prague, and between 1920 and 1921, the Epic achieved success in New York and Chicago. The entire Epic was first exhibited in 1928 at the Trade Fair Palace in Prague, and the paintings came under the administration of GHMP. In 1933, the canvases were stored in the depository. In 1963, they were exhibited again at the castle in Moravský Krumlov. In 2011, the paintings were taken away by the then leadership of Prague.