Jaroslav Klápště: Epilogue of the Old Most

14.4.2023 - 31.8.2023

The Regional Museum and Gallery in Most invites you to the exhibition of paintings and graphics

Jaroslav Klápště / Epilogue of the Old Most

The exhibition is organized on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the author's birth and will last from 14.4. to 31.8. 2023

The work of Jaroslav Klápště (1923-1999) has roots in interwar modernism, with which he came into contact primarily through his teachers from the Academy of Art, Architecture and Design – František Tichý and Emil Filla. However, he developed this tradition in a completely original way and thus became one of the exceptional figures of Czech visual art in the second half of the 20th century.

It is no coincidence that a comprehensive exhibition of his work accompanied by a representative catalog was presented in 2015 by Petr Svoboda precisely in Most – in the basement gallery of the dean's church. Jaroslav Klápště regularly traveled from his home in the Czech Paradise to Most to artistically capture the decay and demise of the old town, which fell victim to brown coal mining.

From his work in Most, a series of impressive oil paintings, gouaches, and drawings emerged, which are extraordinary not only in the regional context. He uniquely captured the destruction of the Old Most in its full rawness. Other artists were constrained by a pressure that internally prevented them from depicting the dying Most. An explanation may be found in the fact that Jaroslav Klápště always visited for a limited short time and thus did not face the everyday reality of the city, where there was nowhere to escape.

The author's works from Most were collectively exhibited many years ago at the castle in Duchcov, in 1978, but in a more intimate setting. Now, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, we return to them here in Most, but with many dozens of exhibits. Without exaggeration, this will be the historically largest exhibition of the author's work from Most.

Curator: Mgr. Michal Soukup, director of OMGM

We look forward to seeing you.