After the exhibitions of Jan Saudek, Zdenek Burian and Salvador Dalí, department store Artrium and gallery Zlín came up with another great effort. This exhibition is a retrospective of Josef Lada’s work from his early, little-known period to the era inspired by Mikoláš Alš to the top works known to lovers of Lada’s distinctive image. Among them are popular scenes from rural life, Czech fairy tales or even the story of the good warrior Švejk.

“Starting a Josef Lady exhibition is always a very challenging challenge. His works are scattered in the collections of many museums, galleries and private collections throughout the country. To be able to bring out the best in Zlín, we have to literally borrow paintings piece by piece, which is very difficult organizationally.” introduced by Pavel Chmelík of the Artrium Gallery.

In addition, according to the Monument Protection Act, Lad’s tempera images can only be exhibited once every four years, so as not to suffer from the light. “Our exhibition in Zlín is an even rarer opportunity,” Chmelik added.

An interesting fact is that the exhibition includes less well-known works as well as works from the early creative period, depicting scenes from bourgeois life in black and white. The National Literature Memorial loaned it from the work’s repository. “Their styles are so different that few would find Ladov’s manuscripts in them at first glance. I believe this will not only surprise visitors, but also complete their view of the meaning and scope of Lad’s work,” added Pavel Chmelik.

Also special among the exhibits is the legendary Children’s Games cycle, which depicts village children swimming, sledding and playing in different seasons. “One of the paintings became known for its turbulent fate, when it was confiscated by the Nazis from the collection of a Jewish owner during the Second World War, and after the war it changed hands several times before ending up in the museum in Pelhřimov,” explains Martina Žáčková, spokesperson for Zlín Department Store.

The exhibition is complemented by a documentary film screening. Visitors can learn more about the author’s life from an information panel, the text of which was compiled by Lad’s foremost expert on Lad’s work, the author of his most extensive monograph, Jiří Olič. These are available for purchase at fairs, as well as postcards and coloring books for children.

Evening guided tours and special tours for the school are also planned. “This is of course a great opportunity to visually show children the work of this great Czech artist,” concluded Pavel Chmelík.

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