A long-term research project dedicated to the painting collection administered by the National Gallery in Prague has been completed by the Documentation Centre
This detailed research has not only deepened our knowledge of the provenance of paintings in the gallery’s collection, but has also helped to shed light on the mechanisms of confiscation in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The results of this systematic research by Václav Erben are presented in a pair of publications entitled Paintings from Jewish Collections in the National Gallery in Prague. The second volume, currently in print, Paintings from Jewish Collections in the National Gallery in Prague II. Identified Owners, will present not only the paintings themselves but also the original owners, identified through the research.
Both publications are the result of many years of focused research not only in the institution’s own collections, but also in national and international archives, memory institutions, and research libraries. Using archival sources, the two volumes, totalling over 798 pages, describe in detail the provenance of 264 paintings from the estates of their original, primarily Jewish, owners. The second volume, featuring an introduction by Vít Vlnas, will also recount the fates of 48 collectors. The text is accompanied by full-page reproductions of individual artworks and available portraits of the people who originally owned the paintings, along with expert commentary on the sources used.
You can look forward to the new publication, Paintings from Jewish Collections in the National Gallery in Prague II. Identified Owners before the end of 2025 in an online version and in early 2026 in print!