Czech government publishing online catalogue of its art collections

The Office of the Government has begun publishing an overview of artworks from its extensive collections on its website. This includes some 2,000 paintings, sculptures, and pieces of applied art  housed in Prague’s Straka Academy, Kramář Villa, the Lichtenstein and Hrzán palaces, as well as the villa of Hana and Edvard Beneš in Sezimovo Ústí. Until now, the public has had only limited opportunities to view them.

According to the Office of the Government the creation of this database is part of a broader effort to open government buildings to the public and to share their cultural heritage as widely as possible.