I went to Prague this last month on one of the regular yearly visits to my hometown. It is always hectic to try and see all my relatives and friends, to indulge in all the home-made delicacies that my grandmas prepare just for me and to catch up on what is new in town. This time it seemed that there is a lot of construction going on. Shiny new malls take over the beautiful historic landmarks like the functionalist building of the Czech Commercial Bank or the complex of barracks and stables from the eighteenth century on the Republic Square. This made me worried about one of my favorite little museums in Prague, the Cubist House of the Black Madonna.
I rushed through the Celetna Street to see if it’s still there. Oh well, the bookstore that used to be on the ground floor was replaced by a clothing store, but at least the Museum is still open and as far as I can tell, it is not going anywhere. Foreigners usually stop in front of this intriguing building designed by the genius functionalist and cubist architect Josef Gočár, but never venture in. Big mistake!
The permanent exhibition here is devoted to the art of the first half of the twentieth century and to Czech cubism in particular. Not many people know this but Cubism had huge influence on Czech artists, including architects – there are several Cubist buildings in Prague. The exhibition is modest as far as quantity but of such high quality that I could spend hours staring at the sculptures, paintings or even furniture by Josef Gočár, Otto Gutfreund, Josef Čapek (brother of the writer Karel), Václav Špála or Jan Zrzavý just to name a few. I love everything about this period of Czech art, it was blunt, uninhibited, intelligent and fun and, to put it simply, beautiful. If you have time in Prague, do not miss getting to know it!
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