Prague, cradle of the arts

Roman art, Art Nouveau, contemporary art… The beautiful city of Prague today shines through multiple artistic influences which have shaped it through the centuries, and continue to expand. I had the chance to meet the guide Veronika, true art historian and passionate about art therapy, which made me make a fabulous cultural trip to Prague.

The influence of roman and baroque arts on Prague’s architecture

City of 100 towers, Prague is bristling with church spiers mixing the roman, gothic and baroque styles. A real open air museum!

Its castle which dates back to the late 9th century, is one of the oldest in the world and represents an incredible mix of architectural styles. Its Charles Bridge, meanwhile, still has a medieval gate; thirty single or groups of beautiful religious statues of Roman style art dotted along its parapet.

Beyond Prague Castle, many districts have retained a unique style where live several times. My favorite is Nove Mesto, the area of the new town of Prague: a masterpiece of classical architecture with its gardens and buildings from the 14th century. I also like Malá Strana, a 13th century baroque style district known mainly for its old baroque style church, Kostel Panny Marie Vítêzné (Church of Our Lady Victorious), which is one of the main pilgrimage sites in the Czech Republic.

The importance of the Art No uveau in Prague’s fine arts

Featuring colorful patterns inspired by nature, Art Nouveau represents a total work in the city of Prague: paintings, tapestries, furnitures, fashion, jewelery ect… I discovered, thanks to Veronika, that Gustav Klimt was not the only precursor of the Art Nouveau as the work of the Czech artist Alfons Mucha is just as important!

The Art Nouveau is also very present in the architecture of Prague. Numerous monumental sculptures adorn the city, including Ladislav Šaloun’s one on the Jan Hus’ memorial in the Old Town Square.

Prague, a capital of contemporary art

The predecessors of the early 20th century, such as the surrealist painter Toyen Marie, the cubist Frantisek Kupka and the impressionist Václav Radimsky, have initiated various contemporary art movements in Prague. Today, artists like Josef Bolf, Daniel Pitin and the very provocative David Cerný, continue to feed the creative spirit of the city, which has many galleries and constantly organizes all kinds of artistic events.