František Kupka (1871–1957), Waldstein Riding School, Prague, 7 September 2018-20 January 2019

František Kupka (1871-1957) was at the forefront of European painting for over 60 years. As a young artist at the turn of the 20th century, Kupka was involved with symbolism. Symbolists sought to hit the viewer with an artistic impression; something that stirred his body as well as his mind. By the 1950s, Kupka was a leading figure of the abstract movement, whose coloured blocks, sharp lines, and stylised depictions of the world have defined what most of us understand by “modern” art.

The new exhibition at the Waldstein Riding School aims to track Kupka’s remarkable creativity over the decades. As well as his early symbolism and late abstractionism, the exhibition features the stuff that came between: his graphic prints, satirical drawings, and illustrations. It also aims to capture Kupka’s diverse interests. His work drew not only on past painters but also geometry, religion, philosophy and science. A real sense of a life and a thinker lie behind every Kupka work, and deciphering them is a big attraction of this exhibition.

Having been prepared by the Czech Republic’s National Gallery, the exhibition has been made possible by borrowed works from venues around the world: Paris, Helsinki, Vienna and New York. Such a comprehensive collection from a leading artist isn’t to be missed.

Jonny Elling

Národní galerie Praha – Valdštejnská jízdárna

Valdštejnská 3, Prague 1