Czech Art

Czech art refers to the visual and plastic arts produced in the modern Czech Republic and the several states that formerly controlled the Czech territories. Alfons Mucha, widely considered as one of the foremost exponents of the Painting Nouveau style, and Frantiek Kupka, a pioneer of abstract art, are only two examples of Czech artists who have achieved international acclaim.

The region that is now the Czech Republic is home to several significant prehistoric art discoveries, including the Venus of Doln Vstonice, a pottery Venus figurine of a naked female that dates to 29,000–25,000 BC, and a distinctive Celtic art form. Czech art was particularly close to Austrian and German art for the most of the following periods, and it took part in the majority of these. When Prague served as the Holy Roman Empire's capital, it was a major hub for the then-current artistic movement, employing both artists from the Czech Republic and other countries.

This was particularly true of the Northern Mannerism of the late 16th and early 17th centuries and the International Gothic style from the 14th century. Rich remnants of Baroque art and architecture were left behind after the Thirty Years War, when the predominantly non-Catholic Czech lands were returned to Catholic Habsburg power. All the arts were significantly impacted by Czech nationalism beginning in the 19th century.