Art Gallery

The Karlovy Vary art gallery is housed in a former building belonging to craft and trade organizations. The modernist building with wide wings and simple forms was rebuilt for exhibition purposes. Currently, there is a permanent exhibition of about 150 works depicting Czech art from the end of the 19th to the end of the 20th century.

The building was built before World War I. It was designed by Friedrich Seitz who was strongly influenced by Viennese Classicism and Art Nouveau. He belonged to the local Chamber of Commerce. There were shops and stalls on the ground floor, and artistic and folk crafts were displayed on the first floor. The art gallery was created in 1953, but until the 1980s it continued the activity of the Chamber and presented mainly the products of local artists.

Currently, the main permanent exhibition presents Czech painting and sculpture in the 20th century. There are works presenting all the most important trends in culture, including innovative works of cubists, expressionists and fauvists on a global scale. The gallery also organizes temporary exhibitions, meetings with people of culture, workshops, concerts and book presentations.