Prague’s Art Nouveau Masterpiece: And the Beat Goes On

Is it possible for an entire building to be considered a work of art? If it’s Prague’s Municipal House – its art nouveau masterpiece – then the answer must certainly be yes. And even though the naming committee gets no awards for creativity, the architects and artists who designed the showplace, nailed it. 

You may remember that in our travels in Eastern Europe we were smitten with all the fabulous art nouveau buildings: Riga’s enormous collection, Subotica’s hidden gems, and Bratislava’s Blue Church. We highlighted an extensive collection of architecture, but after a visit to the intricate, artistic Municipal House, we couldn’t resist just one more.

Fin de siècle Europe was in a state of flux. Change was in the air, and, as always, artists and architects had a finger on the pulse of the times. With a new century beginning, the old standards of Neo-Gothic and Neo-Classical were out, and Art Nouveau was in.

Fine pieces of art were integrated as architectural elements, such as statues, mosaics, stained glass, and animals. Curved doors and floral patterns were also common. No longer was beauty found in symmetry and regularity, but in nature and the human imagination. 

As a textbook example, the Municipal House is the complete art nouveau package: a spectacular exterior clad with art; a breathtaking concert hall; as well as a restaurant exquisitely designed in the same theme. 

Buildings don’t have to be just concrete cubes that do nothing more than provide shelter from the elements; and art can complement function.

“Art Nouveau is the poetry of materials.”

— Eugene Grasset, French decorative artist

And there are few better places in Europe to see this artistic fusion on display than the Municipal House in Prague.

As for buildings being works of art, on a recent trip to Dubai we marveled at the Museum of the Future which looks more like a huge, freestanding sculpture than a building. Art nouveau architects had this idea 125 years ago … and the beat goes on. 

Happy Trails,

James & Terri

Author: gallivance.net

We're Terri and James Vance - high school sweethearts who went on to international careers and became world nomads. Today, 65 countries later, we're still traveling ... and still in love. Check out Our Story for more of the backstory at gallivance.net.

27 thoughts

  7. What amazing architecture and artwork. I often wonder about the fine skills involved and needed to create such extraordinary works. Thanks for sharing. 💜

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    1. Miriam, one of the interesting things about this building was all the different types of artwork. My personal favorite was the stained glass, but this project required the skills of lots of different types of artists. ~James

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  8. When I checked my WordPress reader just now, it’s funny to see your post right next to one from another blogger I follow because both are about Art Nouveau buildings. I really love the look of the Municipal House in Prague. It’s certainly beautiful from the outside. But that restaurant inside looks fabulous. We really should build things like this again — edifices that not only serve their basic purposes, but also ones that awe and inspire us.

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    1. Bama, I know that architects want their work to be “modern,” and I get that. What I don’t understand is why more effort isn’t put into giving buildings more character. For most projects, when compared to the overall budget, the price of some additional art or distinctive design elements would have to be very small. And I also understand that many designers aren’t interested in retro styles, but still, certainly there must be ways to add some character. If they don’t pay attention to details, then we won’t pay attention. ~James

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      1. Well said, James. Modern buildings can look nice too. Unfortunately, many just appear to be too minimalist and “bare”.

    1. Liesbet, there are interesting art nouveau buildings scattered around most of the European capitals, but this one is exceptional because it has so many types of art integrated into the design. It’s also appealing because it’s a very useful public space. ~James

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  10. “No longer was beauty found in symmetry and regularity, but in nature and the human imagination.” Given the beauty of the Municipal House, James, it seems like a fair trade off. I wonder if the dwarf/gnome was dealing with a treasure chest or a casket?

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    1. Curt, interesting that you noticed the gnome mosaic. I did as well, and after doing a bit of research found that in the Czech Republic’s past they had a big silver mine somewhere. And you may notice the gnome is pretty well muscled up, so I suspect he’s a miner pushing a chest of silver. So in addition to art, they have some history layered into the building’s decoration. ~James

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  12. What a shame we somehow missed seeing this Art Deco masterpiece on our visit a while back – a tribute to form and function. Also spellbound by Dubai’s Museum of the Future!

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    1. Annie, don’t feel too badly about missing this building. We hadn’t read about it before we arrived, and just stumbled into it on a walk around town. And the Dubai Museum of the Future is, to my eye, simply astounding. We viewed this building and its setting from all sides, and it truly is a masterpiece. It’s the embodiment of what can result when a good deal of creativity is supported by very deep pockets. ~James

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    1. Sorry for the delay in response Laura, we’ve been out of pocket with family stuff. I enjoy modern architecture, but without some artistic touches it all starts to look the same after a while. It would have been interesting to hear the considerations of the architects and artists as to where different art was used. I particularly love the stained glass. ~James

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