Kresby

The profile of the subcollection of drawings and other works on paper has historically taken shape in a manner similar to that of the subcollection of paintings, while remaining closely linked to its composition. The core of the collection was established by a group of works by leading Czech and Slovak artists of the first half of the 20th century, transferred from the collection of the Baťa company (Svit, n. p.), including works by Emil Filla, Adolf Hoffmeister, Jaroslav Král, Cyprián Majerník, and Linka Procházková, among others.
In subsequent phases, the collection of drawings was expanded to include works by leading figures in 20th-century Czech visual arts, as well as significant artists whose lives and works were connected to southeastern Moravia; these artists are categorized within individual sections of the collection (Cyril Mandel, Vladislav Vaculka, and others). The subcollection features large or smaller sets of works on paper by artists such as Josef Čapek, Emil Filla, Václav Špála, Rudolf Kremlička, Jan Zrzavý, Kamil Lhoták, and František Gross. At the same time, acquisitions have focused on expanding the collection to cover the period after the mid-20th century. From all periods, it is possible to compile thematically defined groups, such as drawings by Czech sculptors (Otakar Španiel, Otto Gutfreund, Josef Wagner, Ladislav Zívr, Vladimír Janoušek) or set designs (Vlastimil Hofman, František Tröster).
The most recent phase of the subcollection’s development took place after November 1989, when—in line with the gallery’s overall focus on contemporary art—acquisition efforts began to concentrate on previously neglected artistic and creative expressions. In connection with the gallery’s exhibition program or research in artists’ studios, a wide range of works on and with paper was acquired from many prominent artists, such as Jiří Sopko, Vladimír Kokolia, Ivan Ouhel, Jan Steklík, and, last but not least, Adriena Šimotová.