Jan Zrzavý Returns to the Chateau in Telč – Exhibition to Feature a Portrait Unseen for 80 Years
Jan Zrzavý Exhibition Returns to the Telč State Chateau After Nearly Two Decades. After nearly twenty years, the exhibition of Jan Zrzavý is returning to the Telč State Chateau. The most modern exhibition spaces of the chateau gallery will showcase a selection of more than thirty of his works, including pieces that have not been publicly displayed for a long time. The revival of the Jan Zrzavý exhibition in Telč was made possible thanks to the initiative of the National Heritage Institute in cooperation with the National Gallery Prague. The exhibition, titled "A Dream of Reality: Paintings by Jan Zrzavý from the Collections of the National Gallery Prague", will open to the public on July 22 and will be accessible year-round, in accordance with the chateau’s operating schedule.
Exhibiting his works specifically in Telč was a personal wish of Jan Zrzavý himself—one of the most renowned artists of the 20th century and a co-founder of Czech modern art. The Renaissance town of Telč served as a source of inspiration for him. His connection to the town deepened after meeting then-castellan Bohumil Norek Sr., who, during a tour of the chateau, showed him the statue of Adam located in the main courtyard. The statue’s resemblance to Zrzavý inspired a charming photograph of the painter gazing at his “chateau double.”
The Jan Zrzavý Gallery at the Telč Chateau originally opened in 1988 and, until 2007, displayed a permanent exhibition of around fifty of his works. After almost 20 years, Jan Zrzavý’s art is now returning to the chateau, this time in fully renovated spaces that meet the highest standards for gallery exhibitions.
The new exhibition, which has been tailored to fit the specific environment of the chateau, presents the work of this exceptional figure in Czech modern art. It is divided into six loosely connected chapters guiding visitors through key themes of Zrzavý’s work—from self-portraits and self-stylization, to inspiration drawn from Leonardo da Vinci, and early works from the Sursum association period. These are followed by biblical motifs and paradise landscapes, culminating in images of Brittany, deeply tied to his perception of his native Vysočina region. The final section is dedicated to the theme of the “fateful woman.” For the first time, the National Gallery Prague will display its most recent acquisition—Portrait of Miss Tydlitátová, which is connected to Telč, alongside paintings featuring the Cleopatra motif, a recurring theme throughout Zrzavý’s life. One such painting from 1932 remained in a private collection for over 80 years and was virtually unknown to the public. The National Gallery acquired it from a private collector last year, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, for 3 million CZK.
The exhibition will also feature an interactive studio that includes a reading corner with a file of supplementary materials—personal correspondence, reproductions of Zrzavý’s drawings, and works by artists who inspired him. Visitors will be able to read books related to Jan Zrzavý and listen to audio recordings from the Czech Radio archive.
The Jan Zrzavý exhibition at the Telč State Chateau will be open year-round, following the same visitor schedule as the chateau itself.
