The Fantastical Folk Art of the Czech Masopust Poster

Local shrovetide celebrations will begin soon; here’s a poster-by-poster guide to the 2017 carnival season

Elizabeth Zahradnicek-Haas

Written by Elizabeth Zahradnicek-Haas Published on 03.02.2017 17:26:24 (updated on 03.02.2017) Reading time: 1 minute

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In nearly a decade of covering the Czech shrovetide, or masopust, celebrations in Prague I’ve come to realize there is really a special artistry to the posters that are issued by each Prague district to announce their annual parade.

I recently spoke with Zuzana Šrůmová, one of the organizers behind Roztoky masopust, an annual carnival celebration held in a small village outside of Prague that is, in and of itself, a work of art.

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Now in its 20th year, Šrůmová told me that the Rotozky masopust poster is always created around the theme of the Masopust Queen, crowned annually at this well-attended pageant. (In fact, this year’s poster was conceived by artist Zuzana Vítková, Masopust Queen 2013.)

Roztoky masopust, 2017<br/ >Roztoky masopust, 2017

But while the vibrant colors of the customary masquerade (maškara), as expressed in the posters, seem joyful, a darker meaning belies what Šrůmová describes as the “dark and earthy” Masopust iconography which symbolizes, among other things, a ritual pagan burial of winter.

A number of posters incorporate motifs of slaughter, butchery, and blood, giving a somewhat sinister air to a celebration that is widely enjoyed by families and children.

The posters use an array of graphic styles—from contemporary minimalist to patchwork collage—to eye-popping effect.

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Roztoky masopust, 2011<br/ >Roztoky masopust, 2011

For Šrůmová, the poster is just one of many reasons her local celebration is considered by Czech folklorists to be “a vivid, living, [work of art] driven by the creativity of a local community.”

We’ve selected some of this year’s best from Prague and beyond (click the poster to link to details); in the slide show you’ll see posters from masopust years past that were too good not to share—particularly the ode to A Clockwork Orange!

See our previous masopust articles for more on how to celebrate the Czech Mardi Gras.

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The Fantastical Folk Art of the Czech Masopust Poster

The Fantastical Folk Art of the Czech Masopust Poster

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The Fantastical Folk Art of the Czech Masopust Poster

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The Fantastical Folk Art of the Czech Masopust Poster

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The Fantastical Folk Art of the Czech Masopust Poster

The Fantastical Folk Art of the Czech Masopust Poster

 

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