This paper presents an examination of the art songs of Czech composer Vítězslava Kaprálová (January 24, 1915 - June 16, 1940) through detailed analysis of selected works. Kaprálová created a unique character for each of her art songs, with careful attention to idiomatic declamation and syllable stress, tone-painting in the accompaniments, and the use of primarily "post-impressionistic" stylistic techniques. Most importantly, this study focuses on the fact that her composition was firmly rooted in the text, and that her choice and adaptation of text convey important autobiographical motivation as well as insight into her character and personality.

The aim of this thesis is to explore and evaluate the scientific work of art historian Rudolf Chadraba who is generally considered to be one of the founders and the most distinctive representatives of an iconological method in czech art history. The Master's thesis doesn't make efforts to survey Chadraba's scientific career from biographic point of view in a clearly and chronologically way, because the main focus of the interpretation lies on starting points of Chadraba's work, specific influences on him, particular motifs and themes, which are penetrating and reflected in his academical works of art historian and which therefore form his peculiar method. Biographical information about Rudolf Chadraba is introduced here only briefly, the text tends to point out Chadraba's transdisciplinary approach and his extensive conception of iconology. Moreover, it pays a lot of attention to influences of such personalities as Max Dvořák, Ladislav Cejp, Alois Dempf, Josef Strzygowski or Herbert Read, who represent important source of inspiration in Chadraba's scientific work. Theories and methods of these scholars in connection with Chadraba's interest in tradition and triumphalism in christian art initiated his pursuing parallels between european and oriental art, which were insufficiently employed in czech art...

The goal of this thesis is to analyse trends of the contemporary Czech art on the domestic market and possibilities of the contemporary Czech artists to succeed on the international art market. The firts part of the thesis describes specific forms of contemporary art and their position on the art market. The main factors influencing contemporary art prices are mentioned. The next chapter is concentrated on trends of contemporary art in comparison with the other segments of the art market. The third chapter is focused on development of the contemporary art on the domestic market. It analyses the present situation on the Czech art market and explores the potential of the contemporary Czech art. The last part of the thesis evaluates a success rate of the contemporary Czech art on the global art market.

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Czech Illustrated Magazines of the Second Half of the 19th Century Markéta Dlábková Abstract of the thesis Illustrated magazines are specific phenomenon in the 19th century culture. Between the 1860s and 1890s they published an enormous number of pictorial materials of diverse content and quality. Apart from general social importance they played a significant role in the world of art as well. Today they can serve as a beneficial source of knowledge about situation on Czech as well as European art scene in the period. The so-called penny-magazines of the 1830s can be seen as predecessors of illustrated magazines. They presented a cheap and popular source of knowledge and amusement, together with considerable amount of xylographic illustrations. However, it was the second half of the 19th century that witnessed a real boom of illustrated magazines. At the beginning of the 1840s, the Illustrated London News, the Leipziger Illustrirte Zeitung and L'Illustration established the character of this type of periodicals. In following years there were many other magazines rising throughout entire Europe. In the Czech lands, first examples of the type can be found at the end of the 1850s. Květy (1865-1872), Světozor (1867-1899) and Zlatá Praha (1884-1929) belong among the most successful periodicals. The thesis deals...

RESUME V diplomové práci, Řeč světla ve veřejném prostoru, zpracovávám otázku role světla a světelných reklam ve vztahu k architektuře a volnému umění na území dnešní České republiky. Zajímám se o celkovou estetiku, ale i dobové podmínky, které tuto oblast ovlivnily, ať již umělecky, nebo technologicky. Pokouším se situaci v tehdejším Československu uvést do celosvětového kontextu. První část je věnována období největšího rozkvětu světelné reklamy, tedy dvacátým a třicátým letům. Pokouším jsem se o zmapování celkového vývoje světelné techniky a osvětlování vůbec. V uvedené době byla světelná reklama úzce spjata s architekturou. Na konkrétních příkladech staveb poukazuji na roli denního i umělého světla. Zmiňuji zde také dobové příklady volné umělecké tvorby, související se světlem. V druhé, obsáhlejší části, se zabývám světelnými reklamami především v období padesátých a šedesátých let, s ohledem na tehdejší ekonomickou, hospodářskou a politickou situaci, která úzce souvisela s tímto uměleckoprůmyslovým odvětvím. V průběhu výzkumu jsem dospěla k tomu, že role světelných reklam v sedmdesátých a osmdesátých letech klesla na minimum. Popisuji zde, proč se tak stalo a jak v této době vypadaly a v jaké nové formy se přetransformovaly. Závěrem své práce ve stručnosti popisuji situaci devadesátých let, kdy...

The thesis deals with Czech art of the 1980s and with the way it was at its own time reflected in relation to the concept of postmodernism. As a widely discussed topic postmodernism enters Czech art scene in the middle of the 80s. At that time key texts were written (primarily by Jana and Jiří Ševčíks and Ludvík Hlaváček) and first unofficial exhibitions of students of Prague art academies known as Confrontations took place. "New painting" or "new art" was interpreted and perceived as an expression or manifestation of the ethical, political and life attitudes of the "postmodern generation". In this context generational theatrical, musical and performative activities were of particular importance (theatre ensembles of Pražská pětka, musical performances of Vladimír Skrepl and Martin John at the openings of their exhibitions, Vaclav Stratil's, Margita Titlova Ylovsky's and Vladimír Merta's band Apage Satanas and others). The thesis discuses some shared attributes of postmodern "mood" and in this broad framework interprets work of some particular artists (Martin John, Vladimír Skrepl, František Skála, Martin Mainer, Jiří Kovanda, Margita Titlová Ylovsky, Jiří Surůvka and others).

After the fall of communist regime in 1989, in Czech countries many art groups appeared (e.g. Luxsus, Bezhlavý jezdec, Kamera Skura, Pode Bal, Guma Guar, Ládví and others). The art group Rafani was founded in 2000 by former students of the Fine arts academy in Prague. From the beginning its activities were focused on artistic reflection of social problems and phenomena, especially of local character (Nazi holocaust and Sudetenland, the rise of ultraright parties, forming and perception of democracy etc.). Rafani are operating at the background of strong theoretical platform and clearly given methodical and fundamental bases. The group is often called as politically engaged and its actions are perceived as controversial. Today is one of the best known and most respected subjects on Czech artistic scene. This thesis describes monografically the ten years' history of the group Rafani. The introductory chapters are focused on the issues of terms political and engaged art, its breef history and progress in world as in Czech art. Based on the theoretical background of the art group Rafani, the thesis illustrates the principles and methods of its work, such as the ideological basements of its actions. It assesses the progress of the themes and artistic media from he art historian way and attemps to...

Aim of this work is to make a comparison of three generations (1918 - 1989) of discourse art theorists and to point to their similarity. Specifically, the main personalities and spokespersons of Czech avant-garde art and underground, who are Karel Teige, Vladimír Boudník, Egon Bondy, Milan Knížák and Ivan Martin Jirous. This work analyses the content the interpretive models which are contained in the manifestos and manifestations text (Chapter 2) and reconstruction experience and feeling of historical avant-gards based on work with ego-documents (Chapter 3). The result of this analysis is a description of the differences (and dynamics) of development of avant-garde, but especially characteristic of avant-garde and underground mental world. The analysis shows that the artistic avant-garde (Teige) and underground (Jirous, Knížák), as well as the second generation standing on the edge of the avant-garde and underground (Boudník, Bondy) show great similarity with many common features. Individual features common to the avant-garde and underground are summarized in the conclusion. Key words avant-garde, underground, czech art, manifest, feeling, Karel Teige, Vladimír Boudník, Egon Bondy, Milan Knížák, Ivan Martin Jirous

The aim of this thesis is to make a clear reflection of folklorism in the Czech Art Nouveau painting at the turn of 19th and 20th century. This era is characterized by the effort of artists to follow the development in western art as well as to find their own Czech way to the modern art. The establishment of new societies of art and the impact of art critics - leading personalities of cultural life - is another feature of this period. The last quarter of 19th century is the time connected with the national revival era, when the folk culture is seen as pure and original. The culmination of so called "ethnographic movement" is the Czech-Slavonic Ethnographical Exhibition which took place in Prague in 1895. This event was the main reason for the fact that many artist suddenly started to feel sympathies for the folk topics even though in the past they were interested in different themes. In the middle of these two tendencies: desire to follow the western development and the attempt to find an inspiration in folk culture, grew the work of so called "regional painters". This thesis aims to characterize this phenomenon and to exemplify it on the basis of artwork of selected regional artists. Main part of this thesis is dedicated to the life and work of Jaroslav Špillar who was the significant figure of...