Old Masters in the Schwarzenberg palace

Graphic design: Robert V. Novák, Photographs: Eva Vopátková The guide touring through the medium-term exhibition of Old Masters in the Schwarzenberg Palace is an attractive publication presenting the masterpieces of the Renaissance, Mannerism, and Baroque in the Collection of Old Masters of the National Gallery Prague. The introductory essays by the exhibition’s curator Marius Winzeler and architect Josef Pleskot about the concept of the exhibition as well as texts for the individual rooms, the list of displayed exhibits, the reproductions of selected artworks, and the photo documentation of the installation attempt to present a unique harmony of art and architecture which is further enriched by the literary dimension. Subjective reflections are part of the exhibition guide – in addition to the art historian and architect, personal perspectives on the Old Masters are also presented by a painter, a poet, a writer, a journalist, a dramaturge, a botanist, a literary critic and theoretician, a historian, a philosopher and theologian, and also a gallery night watchman. They ponder the atmosphere of the halls, a selected group of paintings and sculptures, or just a single masterpiece. The guide, similar to the exhibition, is a multiple-voiced invitation for a personal encounter with the artistic treasures of the National Gallery Prague whose themes go beyond the mundane issues of man and society. Authors: Martin Bedřich, Petr Borkovec, Adam Borzič, Miloš Doležal, Jiří Fajt, Anna Beata Háblová, Barbora Hančilová, Tereza Horváthová, Klára Jirsová, Jiří Kamen, Vladimír Kokolia, Sergej Machonin, Benedikt Mohelník, Jan Němec, Tomáš Petráček, Josef Pleskot, Martin C. Putna, Petr Rezek, Jiří Sádlo, Norbert Schmidt, Jan Skřivánek, Petr Vizina, Petr Volf, Marius Winzeler