Prague authorities turn down request from Japanese to borrow Mucha’s Slav Epic

The authorities in Prague have turned down a request from a Japanese institution to borrow an enormous series of works by the Czech Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha. Japan’s NHK promotions had wanted to bring the 20-painting Slav Epic to a Tokyo museum in 2012, and had offered to pay for its restoration. But Prague councillors voted on Tuesday to deny the request, saying instead that the Slav Epic would be moved from its current home in Moravský Krumlov to the capital’s Výstaviště exhibition grounds in September. However, it is not clear whether the city intends to build a dedicated home for the monumental artwork, which was a condition set by Mucha when he donated it to Prague in 1928.