Prague Gets Green Light for Negotiations on Mucha’s Slavic Epic Placement
Prague can resume negotiations with Crestyl regarding the placement of Alfons Mucha’s Slavic Epic in Savarin Palace on Wenceslas Square, as the municipal court accepted the appeal and overturned the preliminary measure prohibiting the contract. The Slavic Epic, comprising 20 large canvases painted by Mucha over 18 years, has faced ownership disputes. “I am pleased that the Municipal Court in Prague has granted our appeal and cancelled the preliminary injunction of the District Court for Prague 1, which restricted the right of Prague to freely dispose of the work of Alfons Mucha – the Slavic Epic. Thus, nothing prevents Prague from negotiating the permanent placement of this work in Prague,” Deputy Mayor for Prague, Jiří Pospíšil, explained. The ownership dispute, spanning many years, saw one relative, John Mucha, withdraw a lawsuit after reaching an agreement with the municipality. While Mr. Mucha withdrew a lawsuit after an agreement with the municipality, another, Jarmila Mucha Plocková, filed her own lawsuit disputing ownership terms. Through an interim measure, she sought to prevent Prague from entering into a contract with Crestyl until the court ruled on her ownership claim. With the Municipal Court’s decision in favor of Prague, negotiations for a temporary lease of...