Museums & Art Galleries. Picture gallery of Prague Castle Picture gallery of Prague Castle paintings

You can read the first part. Photography is prohibited in the Prague Castle History Museum, the Prague Castle Art Gallery and the Prague Castle Treasury. We did not break the law, so I took some of the photos from the official website of Prague Castle.

The Old Royal Palace was for centuries the main residence of Czech monarchs and the center of court life. During the reign of the Habsburgs, government institutions were located here, courts and the Sejm met here. Today it has turned into a museum complex: by exploring its apartments step by step, you can realize the entire antiquity of Prague Castle.

Hall with coats of arms of ancient and noble families of the Czech Republic

The most grandiose room of the palace is certainly the Vladislavsky Hall. Its dimensions amazed the imagination of a medieval person - length 62m, width 16m, height 13m. For our time this may not be much, but for the end of the 15th century, the time of its construction, it was the largest vaulted secular room in Central Europe.

The vault of the Vladislav Hall is recognized as a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture: its ribs easily and freely twist on the surface of the vaults, forming intricate petals, rosettes and stars at the intersection points.

Below is our little crime.

Permanent exhibition history of Prague Castle

The vaulted Gothic halls, located on the lower level of the old royal palace, present the history of Prague Castle from its foundation to the present day. It is difficult to determine what is more remarkable, the ancient premises in which the exhibits are located or the exhibits themselves.

20 halls with archaeological finds, manuscripts, coats of arms, clothing and palace furnishings await you. The halls, arranged in chronological order (“Roman period”, “Přemyslid era”, etc.) are interspersed with thematic ones, highlighting certain aspects of the life of Prague Castle: thus, in the “Feast” hall, dishes are presented, including those found during archaeological excavations, in the hall “Coronations” you can carefully study copies of imperial and royal crowns, scepters and other attributes of royal grandeur - most of the originals are stored in the cathedral Chamber of Coronation Regalia and are practically not accessible for inspection.

Picture gallery - Prague Castle Museum

In addition to temporary exhibitions, the Prague Castle Gallery constantly displays its own collection of 4,000 objects, which is based on the art collection of Rudolf II, most of which, unfortunately, has now been lost.

In each room there is a pocket with laminated explanations of each painting, but only in English and Czech.

Powder Tower - Prague Castle Museum

A powerful gunpowder tower (its height reaches 44 m, diameter - 20 m), also called "Migulka", was erected at the end of the 15th century by Benedict Reed to install cannons in it. The court alchemists of Emperor Rudolf II used it for experiments on gold transmutation. From that time on, it served as a storage facility for gunpowder and was severely damaged by its explosion in 1648, caused either by the carelessness or the malicious intent of the Swedish soldiers, who briefly took possession of Prague Castle.

The Powder Tower now houses an exhibition of the military historical institute.

It is curious that when our 10-year-old son asked why the Czech soldiers had our flag, an elderly museum attendant explained in very decent Russian that in those times about which the exhibition tells, we had a Soviet red flag with a hammer and sickle. What I mean is that many Czechs know Russian quite well.

Rožmberský palác

Several halls of this palace have become available for inspection quite recently. This palace once belonged to the influential Rozmergov family. In 1755, the palace was rebuilt in the strict forms of early classicism and adapted for the Institute of Noble Maidens, an educational institution for girls of noble origin.

There are no more than five halls available for inspection. One room of the noble maiden, a dining room and an exhibition of gargoyles have been preserved.

You can find out on my website. You no longer have to browse dozens of websites to find information about: what type of transport to choose (plane, train, bus,), all methods of transfer from Vaclav Havel Airport, what to do in Prague, what to see on your own, where you can download an audio guide,

Hello friends. The National Gallery in Prague (Národní galerie v Praze) contains magnificent examples of art from different countries from the late 19th century to the present day. This is one of the largest and most complete museums in Europe. The collections are divided by theme and are located in 6 different buildings in the city. Tourists often forget this fact and get confused. Today we will talk about what buildings the National Gallery consists of, where they are located and what can be seen in their collections.

Administrative district Prague 1, 7. Historical districts , , .

The buildings of the National Gallery in Prague are geographically located in different parts of the city, but not far from each other.

The gallery itself was created as an educational center. The history of its origin differs from museums in other countries and is closely connected with the history of the Czech Republic and the formation of national identity.

The original idea and mission is to uplift the spirit of the nation through exposure to art.

Today, the gallery positions itself as a research organization whose main task is to conduct fundamental and applied scientific research and development, disseminate their results and educate.

The National Gallery in Prague is one of the largest museum collections in Europe.

Historical reference

Since the 11th century, the Czech Republic has been part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, a multinational state founded in 962 by the king of the East Franks, Otto I.

From the middle of the 15th century, the imperial throne was occupied by representatives of the Habsburg dynasty, who consistently pursued a policy of German colonization of Czech lands and support of Catholicism against the popular Reformation.

At the end of the 18th century, the Czech Renaissance movement began. “Awakeners” (i.e., educators) spoke out in defense of the Czech language and tried to revive the national identity of the Czechs through science, literature, and theater.

The date of birth of the gallery is considered to be February 5, 1796. On this day, Count Franz Joseph Sternberg and a group of prominent representatives of the local aristocracy and bourgeoisie created the Society of Patriotic Friends of Art.

“The Society established two important cultural objects in Prague: the Academy of Arts and the Picture Gallery, which is the forerunner of the current National Gallery.”

In 1902, the collection of the Gallery of Modern Art of the Kingdom of Bohemia (the private collection of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Habsburg, founded in 1901) was added to the Society's museum collection.

In 1918, the Society's Picture Gallery became the main art collection of the new state of Czechoslovakia.

Under the leadership of collector and art critic Vincenz Kramar, the gallery developed dynamically until the outbreak of World War II.

During the period of fascist occupation, the museum's funds were transferred to the new National Gallery of the Czech Republic-Moravia.

The Law of 1949 established the National Gallery of Prague in its current form.

6 gallery buildings

The permanent exhibition of the museum occupies 6 buildings, each of which can be called a landmark of the capital.

In addition, temporary exhibitions are held:

• In the Wallenstein Manege
• Old Town Manege

European art from antiquity to the Baroque era is represented.

The palace began to be built by Count Vaclav Sternberg around 1697 according to the design of Dominico Martinelli. In 1811, the Society of Patriotic Friends of Art acquired the palace from Leopold Sternberg, after which the building underwent reconstruction necessary to turn it into a museum.

The Society's collections were opened to the public in 1814.

In the period after 1946 and in 2002 - 2003, the building was also significantly reconstructed.

The exhibition includes a collection of works from the 14th to 16th centuries from the castle that belonged to Archduke Franz Fridinand, who was killed in Sarajevo in 1914: old Tuscan masters (Lorenzo Monaco and others), the Venetian school, masterpieces of Florentine mannerism.

An entire floor is occupied by works by Italian, Spanish, French, and Dutch masters of the 16th - 18th centuries: Paulo Veronese, Elgreco, Francisco Goya, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Frans Hals.

The exhibition of German and Austrian art of the 16th – 18th centuries includes the gallery’s masterpiece “The Feast of the Rosary” by Albrecht Dürer. The painting was painted in Venice in 1506, and was later acquired and transported to Prague by Emperor Rudolf II.

Monastery of St. Agnes of Bohemia

The Monastery of St. Agnes of Bohemia exhibits examples of medieval art from Bohemia and Central Europe: the work of the master Theodoric, master of the Třeboň Altar.

The exhibition is located in the original interiors of the first monastery of the Claritian Order in Bohemia, founded in 1231 by St. Agnieszka of Bohemia, daughter of King Přemysl Ottokar I.

Salmovsky Palace or Little Schwarzenberg

The task in the neoclassical style appeared on the site where several aristocratic mansions stood and belonged to the Prague Archbishop V. Florentan, prince of the ancient German family of Sal-Salma. The palace was named after him.

Construction lasted from 1800 to 1811, after which the palace was bought by Joseph Schwarzenberg and annexed it to his palace house.

After World War II, the building went to the state. It gradually deteriorated until in 2004 it was given to the Prague National Gallery. In 2011, the reconstruction of the building was completed.

The Salmovski Palace and the Schwarzenberg Palace today stand close to each other.

In the Salmovsky Palace, works of art of the 19th century are represented by the most significant works of painting and sculpture from the era of classicism to romanticism.

Schwarzenberg Palace

Designated for Baroque painting of the 17th - 18th centuries, as well as works by court mannerists from the reign of Emperor Rudolf II (1575 - 1611): Hans von Aachen, Bartholomeus Spranger, Roelant Saverey and others.

Palace of Exhibitions (Palace of Fairs or Veletřini Palace)

- the largest of the museum’s buildings, it exhibits masterpieces of world art from the 19th century to the present day.

The famous Prague Castle Art Gallery (Obrazarna Prazskeho hradu) contains an extensive collection of works of art dating back to the reign of Rudolf II, a great art lover who, in his time, turned Prague into the cultural center of Europe.

The art gallery was opened to the eyes of curious visitors in 1965 and since then it has already undergone reconstruction several times. The gallery is located in the northern wing of the New Palace, in a room that was previously used as the stables of Emperor Rudolph II, where he kept his beloved Spanish horses. The gallery still displays the remains of the first Church of the City, founded by Prince Borivo I in the 9th century and was discovered during reconstruction.

The permanent exhibition of the Prague Castle Art Gallery offers visitors 107 of the best paintings and 3 statues, selected from more than 4,000 works of art of Prague Castle. The oldest works in the collection have come down to us from the time of Rudolf II, although only a few works have survived. The exhibition displays works collected over the centuries.

Among the artists whose works are exhibited in the Prague Castle art gallery, you can find Adrian de Vries (copy of the bust of Rudolf II), Titian (The Dressing Room of the Young Lady), Rubens (Collection of the Olympian Gods), Guido Reni (The Centaur Nessus Abducting Deianeira ), master Theodoric, Paolo Veronese, Czech Baroque artists Jan Kupetsky and Petr Brandl, as well as many others.

During the years of Nazi occupation, the gallery officially became known as the “Gallery of the Czech-Moravian Land”. In 1949, the modern National Gallery was officially created by law #148/1949.

In 1995, the newly renovated Exhibition Palace building was transferred to the National Gallery. It houses a collection of contemporary art. We'll start with the Exhibition Palace.

Exhibition Palace

Subjects: International art of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

How to get there: By metro to Vltavska station (Vltavska) on line C (red). For a map of the Prague metro, see our article “”.

After exiting the metro, turn right and walk along the park. At the next intersection turn left onto Hermanovo Street, follow this street for 300 meters to the Exhibition Palace building. See the photo of the building in the first photo in this article, the interior in the second photo, click on the photo to enlarge.

: Unfortunately, there is nothing important nearby, except for the Parkhotel Praha, a popular tourist hotel.

The Exhibition Palace displays works by German and Austrian modernists: Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Emil Orlik; Norwegian master Edvard Munch; Russian masters Aristarkh Lentulov and Robert Falk; Spaniards Joan Miró, Anthony Tapies, Anthony Clavet.

The National Gallery is especially proud of contemporary French painting; the collection was expanded through the efforts of Vinzenz Kramar and President Tomas Masaryk. The French collection contains paintings by the famous: Auguste Rodin, Eugene Delacroix, Jean Camille Corot, Camille Pissarro, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, Georges Seurat.

Also in the Exhibition Hall are works by famous cubists: Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Marc Chagall, Pierre Bonnard, Maurice de Vlaminck.

And, of course, works by the most famous Czechs: Alfons Mucha, Josef Vaclav Myslbek, Vojtěch Ginais, Maximillian Pirner, Frantisek Bilek.

In total, more than 2,000 works are presented in the Exhibition Hall. There is a separate exhibition of 21st century art.

The most interesting works: “Innocence” by Gustav Klimt, “Lovers” by Pierre Auguste Renoir, “Apple Trees” by Claude Monet. A particularly striking impression is made by Alphonse Mucha’s painting “The Slavic Epic,” assembled from 20 parts. See it in the photo above, click on the photo to enlarge.

Subjects: Art of Asia.

How to get there: By metro to Staromestska station, line A (green).

After exiting the metro, walk along Kaprova Street 250 meters in the direction opposite to car traffic. You will arrive at Old Town Square. The Kinski Palace is located to the left of the Tyn Church. Photo of the palace on the right, click to enlarge.

What attractions are nearby: Here on the Old Town Square there are also. If you follow the traffic from the Staromestska metro station and turn left at the first intersection, then after 300 meters you will come to.

The exhibition includes more than 13,000 works of art from China, Japan, Tibet, Korea and other countries of Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Here you can see Chinese and Japanese ceramics, netsuke figurines, Tibetan tanka paintings, masks and sculptures, archaic art and much more.

This exhibition of the National Gallery is very similar to the Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow both in the size of the exhibition, and in composition, and in the style of the building and halls.

Subjects: Art in Bohemia from the Rudolf era to the Baroque.

How to get there: Located directly in front of the western gate of Prague Castle (Giant's Gate). Read more about the route here in our article “”.

What attractions are nearby: Prague Castle, .

The Schwarzenberg Palace houses 160 sculptures and 280 late Renaissance and Baroque paintings painted in Bohemia from the late 16th to the late 18th centuries.

Among others, we highlight the works of the Czechs Karel Skret and Petr Brandl, the Germans Hans von Aachen and Bartholomew Spranger.

Subjects: European art from antiquity to baroque.

How to get there: Located 50 meters north of the Schwarzenberg Palace. In front of the western gate (Giant's Gate) of Prague Castle. Read more about the route in our article “”.

What attractions are nearby: Prague Castle, .

The halls of the first floor of the Schwarzenberg Palace are dedicated to the collection of paintings from the 14th to 16th centuries from Konopiste Castle, which belonged to Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Here you can see paintings and icons by Tuscan artists Bernardo Daddi and Lorenzo Monaco; Venetians and Florentines Agnolo Bronzino and Alessandro Allori.

On the second floor, works by masters from the 16th to 18th centuries are exhibited. Here you will find works by Tintoretto, Jose de Ribera, Giovanni Tiepoloba, El Greco, Francisco Goya, Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck. Dutch painting is represented by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Gerard Terborch, Salomon van Ruisdael, Jan van Goyen.

The office of Joseph Hoser, a famous collector and philanthropist who did a lot for the National Gallery, is open to visitors.

Anege Monastery (Convent of St. Agnes of Bohemia)

Subjects: Medieval art of Bohemia and Central Europe from 1200 to 1550.

How to get there: Take the Prague metro to Namesti Republiky station.

Next, we strongly recommend taking a taxi so as not to get lost in Prague’s many narrow streets. Tell the taxi driver the phrase “Anezka Czech Cluster”, he will understand the destination. The trip will cost about 50 Czech crowns. Read more in our article “”.

What attractions are nearby: There is nothing attractive for tourists nearby. Take a taxi and go to Old Town Square to see the Astronomical Clock, Tyn Church and other National Gallery exhibitions.

The exhibition on the ground floor shows the development of art in the Czech Republic, starting with icon painting and sculptures of the early 14th century. Icons, paintings, panels, and wood carvings are exhibited here. For many paintings, the author remains unknown; on the explanatory plate you can only see the approximate time and city of origin.

Don't try to see all the National Gallery exhibitions in one day or even two days. You will spend a lot of extra time on transport. Try to visit exhibitions together with other Prague attractions;

You can take photographs in the halls, but without flash;

Enjoy viewing the masterpieces in the National Gallery, and read our interesting articles about the Czech Republic ( links below).

There are many museums in Prague - the Dvorak Museum, Smetana Museum, the Museum of Old Bohemian Art (at Prague Castle), the National Technical Museum, the Prague Jewish Museum, the National Museum, the Military History Museum, the Prague Museum of Decorative Arts, European Art in the National Gallery of Prague, etc. .d.

If you are not a fan of museums, or if you are only in Prague for a short time, we recommend that you at least visit the National Museum, where you can explore the ceremony hall.

Free museums

A large number of museums and galleries in Prague follow the tradition of open days, when entry fees are waived or reduced to a nominal amount. All museums affiliated with the National Gallery open their doors on the first Wednesday of each month, and the National Museum and its associated museums in Prague are open to everyone on the first Monday and Thursday of each month, respectively. Free days are noted in brochures and guides. Children between six and 10 years old are often admitted to exhibitions for free.

The best museums in Prague

(temporarily closed down for renovation)

The National Museum is the largest museum in the Czech Republic, which constantly exhibits the following collections of exhibits: Prehistory of the Czech Republic, Moravia and Slovakia; Mineralogy and petrography, paleontology; Zoology and anthropology - human bones also speak, Osteological collection (Mammalian skeletons). Sometimes there is a long-term exhibition of the Department of Numismatics - Orders and insignia of European countries in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Address: Wenceslas Square 68, www.nm.cz
Opening hours: during low season – daily from 10 am to 6 pm; in summer - daily from 9 am to 5 pm; The first Tuesday of every month is a day off.
Admission is free on the first Monday of every month, and 100 CZK on other days.

Museum of Communism

This museum is the only one of its kind in Prague, but very popular among Prague tourists. It shows the atmosphere of the communist era in Czechoslovakia and especially in Prague. The setting of the exhibitions represents the life, dreams and reality of communism, as well as the nightmares of interrogations and imprisonment. The museum exhibits photographs, videos, audio recordings and images, as well as texts in several languages.

Address: Prague 1, Savarin Palace, on the ground floor, Na příkopě 10. www.muzeumkomunismu.cz

Opening hours: daily, including holidays from 9 am to 9 pm.

National Technical Museum

This is a scientific exposition of both objects from the field of acoustics and astronomy, as well as vehicles, as well as instruments that measure time.

Opening hours: Tue-Fri from 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday, Sunday and holidays - from 10 am to 6 pm; On the first Friday of every month, admission is free in the afternoon.

Wax Museum in Prague

exhibits more than 60 wax figures of outstanding personalities from Czech and world history, politics, science, culture and sports. The museum consists of two branches.

Opening hours: daily from 9 am to 8 pm. www.waxmuseumprague.cz

Address: Celetná 6 (Wax Museum of Czech History)

Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments

Heretics, witches and enemies of the state were tortured and burned at the stake. This may seem creepy, but the Inquisition and torture are also part of European history. It should be noted that visiting a museum of instruments of torture can have a strong impact on any person.

How to get there: take tram 12, 20, 22 or 23 to Small Square.

Opening hours: daily from 10 am to 10 pm.

CastleLobkowitz

Monuments of the history of the nation.

Address: Jiřská 3, Prague Castle.

Opening hours: daily, except Mondays, from 9 am to 5 pm; Free admission on the first Wednesday of every month. www.lobkowicz.cz

Museum of Applied Arts

Here you will find the history of materials such as glass and ceramics, as well as the history of furniture, textiles, books, decoration and applied arts.

Opening hours: daily from 10 am to 7 pm (every Tuesday from 5 to 7 pm admission is free), Wed-Sun – from 10 am to 6 pm.

Jewish Museum

The Jewish Museum includes the following historical buildings and sites: the Maisel Synagogue, the Pinkas Synagogue, the Klaus Synagogue, the Ceremonial Hall, the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Robert Guttman Gallery, the Old-New Synagogue and the Žižkov Jewish Cemetery.

Opening hours: daily, except Saturdays and Jewish holidays. During peak season - from 9 am to 6 pm; during the seasonal lull - from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. www.jewishmuseum.cz

Art galleries

Prague Castle Picture Gallery

As you might guess from the name of the museum, its theme is based on paintings from Prague Castle. The museum's history dates back to the 16th century and begins with the impressive art collection amassed by Emperor Rudolf II. The modern museum owns only a few paintings from this collection. It features works by famous German, Flemish, Italian and Dutch artists, as well as a number of paintings by Czech painters, included in the collection in 1930. www.kulturanahrade.cz

Schwarzenberg Palace

Exhibition Center, National Gallery Contemporary Art Collection

This museum is entirely dedicated to works of the 20th and 21st centuries and is spread over three floors housing an extensive collection of exhibits. In addition to Czech art, the museum houses exhibits collected from all over the world. In total, more than 2,000 different pieces of art are stored here. www.ngprague.cz

Stenberg Palace

It contains delightful examples of European painting, including the “Feast of the Rosary” by the famous artist Albrecht Durer. www.ngprague.cz

Monastery of St. Agnieszka of Bohemia

The art collection housed in the monastery includes a 14th-century work entitled “The Resurrection of Christ,” painted by the master of the Trebon Altarpiece. www.ngprague.cz

Gallery of Jaroslav Fragner

This museum is entirely dedicated to architecture, the wonderful creations and the architects themselves who worked on the development of Czech architecture. www.gjf.cz

Prague Langhans Gallery

This museum houses an extensive collection of fine art photography, and its exhibits cover the long history of photography. Also present here are new forms of media representing world photography in the 21st century. www.langhansgalerie.cz

Exhibition Hall Manes

The exhibition hall building serves as an excellent example of functional architecture and is no less impressive than the examples of avant-garde art exhibited there. One of the most striking features of the building is the combination of old and new architecture, with a 15th-century water tower juxtaposed with a 1930s exhibition hall.