Confirmed: Alfons Mucha's Slav Epic will return to Moravský Krumlov for at least five years

The decision is yet to be confirmed by the City Assembly. If so, the Slav Epic cycle is to be exhibited at the chateau as of next summer.

Moravsky Krumlov Mayor Tomas Tretina welcomed the decision.

The Slav Epic was displayed in the chateau for decades in the past. The cycle, which has been listed among cultural heritage since 2010, definitely moved to Prague in 2012.

Prague has long been seeking a suitable venue to display the 20 large painting, depicting Slav mythology and Czech history. It is now considering several possibilities. Mucha was working on them from 1910 till 1928. He donated the cycle to Prague provided that the city builds an exhibition hall for it.

Prague councillor for culture Hana Trestikova said Mucha’s cycle can be made available to the public soon thanks to its move to the chateau and Prague will have enough time to decide on its permanent place of display.

She said Tretina planned to launch a test operation of the exhibition in May 2020 and open it to the public in July.

The huge paintings are in the depository of the Prague City Gallery at present.

Moravsky Krumlov bought the chateau in 2016 and wants to reconstruct it. It has already repaired the exhibition rooms for the art cycle.

Trestikova said the possibilities of the cycle’s exhibition in Prague will be discussed on November 8.

The artist’s grandson John Mucha has long been in a court dispute with Prague about the ownership of the paintings. John Mucha claims that Prague never became the owner of the cycle because it did not meet the artist’s condition of building an exhibition hall for the works of art.

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