Čeko no korekutá to kindai Čúgoku kaiga
| Title in English | Czech Collectors and the Modern Chinese Painting |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | This article looks into the causes and history of an extraordinary case: the collecting of then contemporary Chinese ink paintings in the 1930s and 1950s by Czechoslovakians. First, it outlines the political development of Czechoslovakia and the perception there had been of Chinese culture and art. The next three pages are devoted to V. Chytil, the important collector whose life had been obscure until recently. After the war, Czechoslovakia became a Communist country and cultivated a very intensive cooperation with the P. R. China. This policy served the future incorporation of China, a country of a great future potential, into the Soviet bloc. The goal has not been achieved, as is known. However, during the decade of the tight relations, Czechoslovakia and China also carried out a plentiful cultural cooperation. Art collecting was on the agenda of the National Gallery, Prague, and there were also many individuals who visited China and brought back small art collections. Some of them are briefly introduced in this article. Finally, we reflect on the „exodus“ of the privately owned paintings from the Czech republic, as witnessed in the recent Asian art auctions in Prague. |