Galerie České pojišťovny
The Galerie České pojišťovny is on the ground floor of the Art Nouveau building of the Česká pojišťovna (the Czech Insurance Company), a space only recently made by linking together the streets Vladislavova and Spálená ulice, in the centre of Prague. It is accessible from the inner atrium by the passageway of the Studio Ypsilon theatre. The exhibition hall is 110 square metres in area.
The Galerie České pojišťovny was opened in June 2000. The impulse to have a gallery was the desire of the Česká pojišťovna to make publicly accessible art works from its own large collection, one of the largest in the Czech Republic after those of the state, regional, or municipal galleries. The Galerie České pojišťovny opened with the exhibition ‘Paintings in Paintings’ (Obrazy v obrazech), which first presented to the public newly restored works, for example, by Václav Brožík, Luděk Marold, Alphonse Mucha, Jakub Schikaneder, Emil Filla, and Václav Špála. In less than two years from its opening, the gallery had held fifteen exhibitions. In 2002–03 the Galerie České pojišťovny was temporarily closed for remodelling, and was re-opened in 2004.
This outstanding Art Nouveau work of architecture was built in 1907–08 on plans by Osvald Polívka (1861–1931), one of the most importan Czech architects working in this style. He was also involved in the design of other Prague buildings, for example, Obecní dům (Municipal House) on náměstí Republiky, Topičův dům (Topič House), on Národní třída, Prague, and Dům u Nováků (Novák House), on Vodičkova ulice.
Since 2005 the gallery exhibition plan has consisted in presenting contemporary works by professional Czech painters. In the summer, the gallery has regularly held exhibitions of works from the Česká pojišťovna Collection.
The Česká pojišťovna Collection
The Česká pojišťovna has collected unique paintings for more than a century. The result is one of the largest private collections in the Czech Republic, comprising more than 4,000 works, including paintings by Mikoláš Aleš, Václav Brožík, and Emil Filla. Caring for the collection entails the gradual conservation-restoration and maintenance of paintings, the attribution of works of art (authentication of authorship), and professional research.
