Around 1942, three years into Nazi Germany’s occupation of Czechoslovakia, the Gestapo ordered the confiscation of all assets belonging to Franz Gottlieb Schnabel, a textile mill owner. Among his seized possessions was a cheery painting by Joža Uprka (1861–1940), a Czech painter often called the “Artist of the Moravian Soul.” It wasn’t until 2010, with the help of the New York State Holocaust Claims Processing Office, that the artwork was returned to the Schnabel family.
Now on view at the National Czech and Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids, the untitled circa 1917 painting is one of over 120 other works by Uprka in The Soul of Moravia: Joža Uprka Reprised. Uprka is known for his richly detailed depictions of Moravian folklore, rural life, and spiritual traditions at the turn of the 20th century. The colorful paintings of women and men blend academic technique with Impressionist influences to immortalize the customs and folk dress of his native region. th color and nods to Moravian traditions and heritage.
The exhibition continues through March 29. NCSML is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. Curator-guided tours of the exhibit are slated for Saturday, March 7 at 10 a.m. and Wednesday, March 18, at 2 p.m. See NCSML.org for details and registration.