Imagining Czech National Art: The Mánes Association of Fine Artists and Their Path to Success (1898 –1907)

While the origins of Czech modern art have been linked to the Czech National Revival, research on the key figures and their activities involved in the creation of Czech national art is yet to be explored. Drawing on extensive archival research, quantitative methods, and analyses of exhibition catalogs, I show the crucial role of the Mánes Association of Fine Artists in shaping Czech national identity through their efforts to establish independent national art. Combining political activism with artistic activity, Mánes first constructed the category of Czech national art discursively. They set the classification of Czech art against that of German-speaking groups, both rhetorically and later on artistically, by anchoring it within the French artistic tradition. Ultimately, Mánes succeeded in becoming synonymous with the idea of Czech national art by consistently exhibiting the same Czech artists and promoting their shows as the epitome of Czech national identity. On an international scene, Mánes successfully countered the initial hostility from the Viennese capital, broke through Austrian colonial-like perspectives, and established a vibrant connection between Viennese and Czech art. In particular, Mánes's long-standing transnational collaboration and exchange with the Viennese Hagenbund significantly contributed to Mánes's international recognition. Thus, this paper argues for a polycentric representation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the fin-de-siècle, as well as a multidirectional model of knowledge transfer.