Mucha masterpieces find home in renovated Baroque palace in Prague

A new museum devoted to the works of Alfons Mucha opened Thursday in the renovated late-Baroque Sylva-Taroucca Palace, known as Savarin, in central Prague.

The museum showcases numerous works by Czech Art Nouveau artist Mucha (1860–1939), along with reproductions, including several paintings from his Slavic Epic.

There are now two Mucha museums in Prague, located not far from each other. The first museum has been housed in the Kaunicky Palace on Panska Street since 1998.

The exhibition space in Savarin was built on the first floor in place of a former casino. The renovation was completed last summer by the Crestyl development group. Architect Eva Jiřičná and her studio AI Design participated in conceptualizing the exhibition.

The museum was inaugurated by Marcus Mucha, the great-grandson of Alfons Mucha, grandson of Jiří Mucha, and son of John Mucha. Speaking at the opening, Mucha said that events and exhibitions organized by the Mucha Foundation worldwide typically attract half a million visitors annually.

Japanese-British curator Tomoko Sato prepared the new exhibition at Savarin from the family's collections, based on her own research. The display features original photographs, drawings, and posters by Mucha, copies of other works, and objects related to Freemasonry. In total, there are 150 exhibits—90 originals accompanied by reproductions, Sato said.

The City of Prague previously considered placing Mucha's Slavic Epic—a cycle of 20 giant paintings depicting Slavic mythology and Czech history—in an underground gallery at Savarin, but no agreement has been reached.

Prague Deputy Mayor Jiří Pospíšil stated that negotiations with the Crestyl group are ongoing. "They did not respond to our comments, which we consider necessary to make the agreement advantageous for Prague as well," Pospíšil told the Czech Press Agency (ČTK).

Crestyl representative Samuel Johnson confirmed that the company is in discussions with Prague regarding the Slavic Epic's location.

Marcus Mucha expressed his hope that the Slavic Epic could be exhibited at Savarin in 2028 to mark the centenary of the cycle's completion.

According to Pospíšil, the city does not need to rush the decision, as the exhibition space in Savarin is not yet ready. Additionally, the painter's granddaughter, Jarmila Mucha Plocková, has filed a lawsuit against the plan to place the cycle there. Pospíšil said he intends to meet with her in the near future.

An alternative permanent location for the Slavic Epic being considered is the Lapidarium at the Prague Exhibition Grounds, Pospíšil added.

Following the opening of the new museum, a dispute has arisen over the Mucha Museum name. The original Mucha Museum on Panská Street is operated by a company of the same name, whose managing director is entrepreneur Sebastian Pawlowski, according to the business register. The Swiss company Pawlowski AG is listed as a shareholder.

Since last autumn, the museum on Panská Street has featured a new exhibition of works from the original collection of legendary Czech tennis player Ivan Lendl, museum spokesperson Lucie Splichalová told ČTK.

The Mucha Museum on Panská Street had been using the artist's name under a contract with the Mucha Trust, which manages Mucha's legacy. However, Marcus Mucha stated today that the contract, which also covered trademarks related to Mucha's name, was terminated last year.