1894-1987

Karel Plicka, a once-famous virtuoso of black-and-white photography, was an early twentieth century Czech artist, endearingly called the “Ansel Adams” of Czechoslovakia.

His urban photography shows Prague in an unparalleled and extraordinary view. His work is an incarnation of medieval, renaissance, baroque, neo-classical, empire, art nouveau and cubist motifs. In his work, Prague speaks a language of ancient mystique, stunning expression and captivating realism.

Aesthetically, every one of his pictures speaks of the special attention the artist paid to avoid those structures and sights he considered debased or showing Prague's moral devastation during the Nazi occupation of WWII. Plicka's work thus becomes more than a documentary of reality of the 1930s and 40s. His photography is a testament of his artistic soul, his tremendous strive to protect and purify what is uniquely embodied in the atmosphere of this ancient city.