Cheb in the time of Art Nouveau

To mark the beginning of the new year, the Cheb Regional Museum has prepared an exhibition "Cheb in the Art Nouveau Period," which focuses mainly on the architectural history of the city from 1898 to 1914. The exhibition will be opened on Tuesday, January 31, 2006, at 5 PM by academic architect and actor David Vávra. The musical accompaniment for the evening will be provided by the Cheb café orchestra led by Dr. Pěnkava.

The exhibition thoroughly maps the influence of Art Nouveau on the architectural appearance of the city. Visitors can get acquainted with the most varied forms of this style, which found its way into the then provincial town, standing on the brink of economic and cultural activity. Individual buildings are presented through architectural plans, photographs, and accompanying texts. Many of these residential homes, villas, and public buildings can still be admired today, while some exist only in old photographs and postcards. For example, the beautiful, previously unpublished Art Nouveau frescos of the Muses in the Municipal Theatre, which were removed 60 years ago, are worth seeing. At the same time, we will learn about the paths through which Art Nouveau penetrated the city and how it was accepted by the local public.

The exhibition will also showcase Art Nouveau decorative arts (glass, porcelain, ceramics, metal, or furniture) from the collections of the Cheb Regional Museum and the citizens of Cheb. Visitors will surely appreciate the Art Nouveau furniture from the dining room of a bourgeois home from 1902-1905.

A valuable Czech-German catalog with photographs and a color supplement has been published for the exhibition, which elaborates on the entire theme in detail. The 156-page catalog does not focus only on Cheb's Art Nouveau but aims to provide a comprehensive view of the urban development of the city from 1898 to 1914. For the first time, we also have the opportunity to learn about a number of previously unknown Cheb builders. Most historical facts and data are published here for the very first time.

The catalog, authored by the historian of the Cheb Regional Museum and exhibition curator Zbyněk Černý, will be available for purchase at the box office of the Cheb Regional Museum starting January 31, 2006.

A workbook for schools will also be published for the exhibition.

The exhibition will last until May 7, 2006.