Slav Epic Archives - From Texas to Beyond

Alfons Mucha’s Slav Epic was the highlight of our trip to Prague!

You may not have heard of Alfons Mucha before, but if you spend time in the Czech Republic, you will see his work and influence all around you! Mucha’s style became the foundation for Art Nouveau. Even without prior knowledge of Mucha, the Slav Epic is a must see cultural gem!

The Massive Paintings

On 20 canvases, Alfons Mucha portrays the history and mythology of the Slavic people, spanning 1,500 years. Mucha devoted 18 years to completing the series. These nationalistic pieces of art helped unify the Slavic people, ultimately gaining their own country after World War I.

Exterior of the Veletrzni Palace

The Location: The enormous canvasses, some as large as 25 feet by 20 feet, are well-displayed in the Veletržní Palace. Located just outside the main touristic district, we caught a tram (Line 12, 14, 15 or 17), which dropped us at the museum entrance.

Viewing the Art: Today, viewing this collection provides a great overview for a modern visitor to Prague. Each piece chronologically portrays a scene from history or cultural folklore. The paintings will introduce you to the major political figures, which you will see celebrated throughout the Czech Republic. For example, find Jan Hus in the artwork. Hus tried to reform the Catholic Church more than 100 years before Martin Luther, but was burned at the stake for heresy. You will also find his statue in the center of the Old Town Square, and in Mucha’s stained glass window in St. Vitus Cathedral. Learning these historical figures will add depth and understanding to your visit as you find them at attractions across Prague and the Czech Republic.

Detail of the Apotheosis of the Slavs

When viewing the paintings, consider that colors are symbolic: white for peace, red for war, blue for the past and orange for the future. In addition, Mucha highlights the focal points in each work with extra detail applied with oil paint, making these figures pop out of the canvas.

The Cost: The Veletržní Palace has other great artwork as well, but with limited time, Rebekah and I only visited the Slav Epic exhibit. Based on the collections you wish to see, there are multiple choices when buying tickets at the front desk. Admission for the Slav Epic exhibition only is 180 CZK (about $9.00 at the time). Once inside the exhibit, there is a desk where you can purchase the English informational pamphlet for 10 CZK ($0.50). You SHOULD definitely do this! The descriptions of each piece bring the paintings to life with the background required to properly enjoy the works. Allow two hours to view the Slav Epic and read the descriptions.

The Gallery

Other Noteworthy Items: If you find yourself in love with Mucha’s style after visiting the Slav Epic, there are two additional attractions in Prague where you can view more of his work. As mentioned above, Mucha created a stained glass window in St. Vitus Catherdral, located within Prague Castle. The window is simply stunning; a must see. The second option, which we did not have time to visit, is the Alfons Mucha Museum in the New Town.

UPDATE: The Slav Epic is currently closed. Please check this link to verify that the Gallery has reopened prior to visiting. The expected reopening is August 1, 2015.

Rebekah and I have always wanted to explore Eastern Europe, and Prague was the top city on our list. Prague, the City of a Hundred Spires. When we found a cheap flight to Prague using frequent flyer miles, we didn’t think twice about booking the flight!

After much planning, we decided to spend four of our ten day European trip exploring the Czech Republic. We also wanted to see the Czech Republic beyond Prague, so we limited our time in Prague so we could travel 4 hours south by train to the picturesque Czech town of Český Krumlov. This decision left us with two full days in Prague. Looking back, two days is theoretically enough time to catch the Prague highlights, but we moved quickly to cover so much ground. You could have easily spent a week in Prague, including short day trips to see the surrounding countryside complete with small castle towns.

To make the most of our time, we researched the destination beforehand so we could spend our time on the ground enjoying. Rick Steves 2014 Prague & the Czech Republic Guidebook was a most helpful resource. I highly recommend this book for traveling in the Czech Republic.

Before we jump into what we did, let’s take a look at the city of Prague itself.