To mark the 229th anniversary of its predecessor institution, the Society of Patriotic Friends of Art, the National Gallery in Prague is inviting visitors to enjoy free admission to its permanent exhibitions this coming weekend. The freely accessible collections include works of medieval art, Old Masters, and art from the First Republic.
Visitors will receive free admission to the permanent exhibitions of the National Gallery in Prague on 8 and 9 February. The occasion marks the founding of the Society of Patriotic Friends of Art (Společnost vlasteneckých přátel umění), established on 5 February 1796 by eight representatives of noble families. They laid the foundations for one of the first public art galleries in Europe.
Among the exhibitions on display are Medieval Art in Bohemia and Central Europe 1200–1550 (Středověké umění v Čechách a střední Evropě 1200–1550), Old Masters I, Old Masters II (Staří Mistři I – Staří Mistři II), 1796–1918: Art of the Long Century (1796–1918: Umění dlouhého století), 1918–1938: The First Republic (První republika), 1939–2021: The End of the Black-and-White Era (1939–2021: Konec černobílé doby), and 1956–1989: Architecture for All (1956–1989: Architektura všem).
Free admission does not apply to the special exhibitions Libuše Jarcovjáková and École de Paris.
The history of the National Gallery in Prague dates back to the late 18th century. A group of prominent representatives of the patriotic Bohemian aristocracy and some scholars from the bourgeoisie decided to revive the declining interest in art. On 5 February 1796, they founded the Society of Patriotic Friends of Art and created two institutions that Prague had previously lacked: An art academy and a publicly accessible picture gallery.
However, the roots of the National Gallery Prague’s collection go back even further—to the early 17th century. As early as 1606, Albrecht Dürer’s legendary Feast of the Rosary became part of Emperor Rudolf II’s art collection. The famous painting is one of the few works that have remained in Prague to this day and is considered one of the gallery’s key pieces. In the second half of the same century, the Bohemian aristocracy expanded its art collections. With the founding of the Picture Gallery, these masterpieces were made accessible to a wider public for the first time—a decisive step toward today’s National Gallery Prague.
Národní galerie Praha
Dukelských Hrdinů 47, 170 00 Praha 7-Holešovice
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