Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Edward Payson Weston
How the 6-Day Race Became an American Spectator Obsession
Alresford Spy Toilet
This Public Bathroom in a Sleepy English Village Was an Epicenter for Cold War Espionage
Manhattan Well
The Manhattan Well: How Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton United to Solve a Murder Mystery
Beneath downtown Minneapolis, Schieks Cave has surprisingly warm groundwater, evidence of a subterranean heat island.
Schieks Cave Below Minneapolis Contains a Lake of Warm Sewage

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Czechia 'Slovanská epopej' ('Slav Epic')
AO Edited

'Slovanská epopej' ('Slav Epic')

Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha spent 18 years creating these monumental paintings of Slavic history and mythology.

Moravský Krumlov, Czechia

Added By
dczippy
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
‘Slav Epic’   Alasdair Mckenzie / CC BY 2.0
‘Slav Epic’   Kenyh Cevarom / CC BY-SA 3.0
Slav Epic at temporary display in Prague   Jiří Sedláček / CC BY-SA 3.0
‘The Apotheosis of the Slavs’   Alfons Mucha / Public Domain
‘The Oath of Omladina under the Slavic Linden Tree’   Alfons Mucha / Public Domain
‘The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia’   Alfons Mucha / Public Domain
  Jiří Sedláček / CC BY-SA 3.0
Look at the scale of these murals   porciones / Atlas Obscura User
Detail   porciones / Atlas Obscura User
  porciones / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Czech Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha's Slovanská epopej (The Slav Epic) is a cycle of 20 enormous paintings, the largest of which measures more than 6 by 8 meters. These works depict Slavic mythology, faith, and history from the Dark Ages to 1861 (and into the future), with a special focus on Czechia.

Mucha was born in a small town in southern Moravia in 1860. His talent for painting and drawing led him to Vienna, then Munich, then Paris, where he became known for a distinct Art Nouveau style. After more than 20 years in Paris, Mucha returned to Czechia in the early 1900s to begin working on a grand project long in the making.

While working on a design for the Paris Exhibition of 1900, Mucha had traveled extensively through the Balkans and studied Slavic history. He was inspired to create "an epic for all the Slavonic peoples," a piece of art that would honor all parts of his people's history and culture. Between 1910 and 1928 Mucha created this series of paintings, which start with Slavic tribes in their original homeland and move through triumphs, tragedies, and changes over the centuries. Mucha considered the series his life's masterwork.

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Czechoslovakia's independence, he gave the series to the city of Prague, provided they build a special gallery to display them. First displayed in a temporary space, the paintings were hidden during World War II to prevent their theft by the Nazis. After the war, Mucha's work fell out of favor with the Communist government, and the Slav Epic was moved to a chateau in Moravský Krumlov in South Moravia, where the paintings were displayed for over 50 years.

After a lengthy legal battle between the city of Prague and Mucha's descendants, there is now an agreement to bring the paintings permanently to Prague in 2026, housed in the new Savarin development. Until then, they can still be viewed in Moravský Krumlov. The paintings' massive scale and Mucha's artistry make the Slav Epic a stunning sight.

Related Tags

Art History & Culture Paintings Artists Art Nouveau

Community Contributors

Added By

dczippy

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy, porciones

  • Michelle Cassidy
  • porciones

Published

October 26, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.muchafoundation.org/en/gallery/themes/theme/slav-epic
'Slovanská epopej' ('Slav Epic')
Zámecká
Moravský Krumlov, 672 01
Czechia
49.048745, 16.307505
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Pohádková Zahrádka (Fairytale Garden)

Biskupice-Pulkov, Czechia

miles away

‘Hrachovina’

Brno, Czechia

miles away

Nuclear Shelter 10-Z

Brno, Czechia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Czechia

Czechia

Europe

Places 182
Stories 9

Nearby Places

Pohádková Zahrádka (Fairytale Garden)

Biskupice-Pulkov, Czechia

miles away

‘Hrachovina’

Brno, Czechia

miles away

Nuclear Shelter 10-Z

Brno, Czechia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Czechia

Czechia

Europe

Places 182
Stories 9

Related Places

  • Tampa, Florida

    Goya Paintings at Hotel Haya

    Rescued, handpainted reproductions of iconic Francisco Goya paintings, now in a hotel.

    Sponsored by VISIT TAMPA BAY
  • Tokyo, Japan

    Shin-Ōhashi Bridge

    The predecessor to this bridge was depicted in a famous Japanese woodcut print that influenced Van Gogh.

  • Château de Rosa Bonheur

    Thomery, France

    Château de Rosa Bonheur

    The home and studio of one of the most celebrated female artists of the 19th century.

  • Ulpiano Checa Museum

    Colmenar de Oreja, Spain

    Ulpiano Checa Museum

    Dedicated to one of Spain’s most talented painters and also one of the least known.

  • Courtesy National Gallery of Art

    Washington, D.C.

    'Ginevra de’ Benci' Portrait

    The only Leonardo Da Vinci painting in the Western Hemisphere.

  • Recreated Burchfield Studio

    Buffalo, New York

    Charles Burchfield's 'Turtle-Back Rock'

    In the recreated studio of a visionary artist, a stone that may be more than meets the eye.

  • Inside the church still stands the pulpit once occupied by Vincent’s father. Now, it stands underneath a stained glass window displaying Vincent as a young boy and man.

    Etten-Leur, Netherlands

    The Van Gogh Church

    Stained-glass windows inspired by Vincent van Gogh's paintings decorate this church in the town where the artist's career began.

  • Black Cat Alley

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    Black Cat Alley

    A group of artists transformed this desolate city alleyway into an outdoor gallery of street art.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.