Klaus: Prague doesn’t need Slav Epic

President Václav Klaus has weighed in on the debate over moving the Alfonse Mucha’s Slav Epic to Prague. The mayor of the town of Moravský Krumlov, which has hosted the Czech masterpiece for over 50 years, says the president telephoned him unexpectedly on Wednesday to lend his support to the towns effort to keep the cycle of paintings where they are. Mayor Jaroslav Mokrý said that the president had told him that Prague has enough extraordinary artefacts and does not need the work. Mayor Mokrý said that the president’s support was encouraging and proves that the town’s efforts to keep the cherished artwork have not been in vain. A ban on moving the Slav Epic will remain in place until uncertainties surrounding a 1913 contract granting it to the city of Prague have been cleared up. Alfonse Mucha donated the 20-painting collection to Prague on the condition that the authorities built a dedicated home for his late masterpiece, a condition that remains unfulfilled. On Sunday around 1,000 people demonstrated against it being moved from Moravský Krumlov, where it is the biggest tourist attraction.