Rare Czech cubism collection exhibited at Prague’s Kampa Museum
Almost 80 works by leading figures of Czech Cubism are now on display at the Kampa Museum in Prague. The remarkable collection has been built by the Gallery of West Bohemia in Plzeň over more than sixty years — and it’s the first time the public can see it presented on such a comprehensive scale.
The exhibition, titled Cubist Collection of the Gallery of West Bohemia in Plzeň, brings together paintings, drawings, and sculptures by artists including Emil Filla, Otto Gutfreund, Václav Špála, and Josef Čapek.
The story of the collection began in the early 1960s, when Oldřich Kuba, the first director of the Gallery of West Bohemia in Plzeň, started systematically gathering works by Cubist artists.
His vision and determination as a collector fundamentally shaped the character of the entire institution, says its current director, Roman Musil.
“He was a man with a truly great sense for the quality of an artwork and someone who could also judge or recognize the right moment to present — or, conversely, to purchase — exceptional works for the gallery’s collection.”
Oldřich Kuba was particularly fascinated by the work of Bohumil Kubišta, considered one of the leading figures of early Czech modernism. His painting The Resurrection of Lazarus is the centrepiece of the exhibition at Kampa.
For the first time, visitors can view the painting from both sides — on the back is another of Kubišta’s works, The Promenade in Rieger’s Park. Roman Musil explains:
“It shows that Kubišta, who often faced financial hardship, reused his old canvases, which he would repaint or paint directly on the reverse.”
The exhibition offers not only a rare and cohesive collection, but also a glimpse into the history of Czech art collecting.
Kubišta’s Resurrection of Lazarus was sold to the Gallery of Western Bohemia by Dr Milada Oupická, and its unusual journey is captured in a period photograph displayed on the gallery wall.
It depicts the gallery’s service car, a Škoda Tudor, with the painting wrapped in a blanket and secured to its roof with string, explains Mr. Musil:
“It really illustrates how far museum standards have come. Today, of course, paintings are transported in climate-controlled crates.”
Visitors can also learn how much the gallery originally paid for many of the artworks:
“For example, The Resurrection of Lazarus was purchased in 1961 for 16,000 crowns — about eleven monthly salaries at the time. I won’t say its current value, but you can work it out — it would be roughly three thousand times the average Czech monthly wage today,” Musil says.
The exhibition is spread over two floors, with the largest group of works, by Emil Filla, displayed separately on the second level.
Since its founding in the 1950s, the Gallery of West Bohemia has never had its own permanent exhibition space. That’s why its exceptional Cubist collection has found a temporary home at Prague’s Kampa Museum, where it will be on view until February 1, 2026.
