Dream of Freedom. Czech Interwar Artists and Classical Mythology

The study focuses on the themes of classical mythology in the Czech visual art with an emphasis on the period between the two World Wars. The depiction of classical myth in the work of modern Czech artists became not only a means of expressing their attitudes towards the tradition and the past, but was also a reflection of the current period’s events as well as the tool of perception of themselves in a modern society. Some Czech works of art inspired by classical mythology are very interesting examples dealing with conventional topics, but rendered with modern art forms. Moreover, they are very surprising in their contexts and meanings. The study deals with selected works of art on the theme of classical mythology, whose origin was influenced by the contemporary political environment. These works of art mirror the turbulent atmosphere of the first half of the 20th century, and show the myth in the original Czech (or more precisely Czechoslovak) context. Emil Filla, Alois Wachsman and Vladimír Sychra, prominent representatives of the Czech mythological painting, and other artists and their work are presented here.