Reproductions of part of Mucha’s Slav Epic displayed in Plzeň

13.7.2009

Four canvases displayed in the Plzeň brewery are named Stefan Dušan of Serbia and his coronation, Mont Athos (Holy Mountain), George of Poděbrady, king of people under both kinds and Apotheosis from the history of the Slavic people. These are from the series of twenty paintings created by Mucha between 1910 and 1928 in the Zbiroh castle in Western Bohemia. This is also the location of the shooting of the ad, for which the team of experienced scene painters, under the guidance of movie art director Martin Vačkář, prepared exact replicas of the canvases at full proportion. “The reproductions were created by a unique method which is used when it's necessary to create an authentic replica that looks convincing even up close. The original painting is photographed and printed on a canvas. After that, careful manual finish is needed. Four canvases sized 5 x 5 meters took two painters two weeks of intensive work,” says Martin Vačkář.

The canvases were created for the shooting of the commercial spot for the Pilsner Urquell brand. In this spot, Alfons Mucha, inspired by the Pilsner Urquell beer, creates his masterpiece – the famous series named The Slav Epic. The short story was conceived by the renowned director Vladimír Michálek, who also directed it and wrote the screenplay. The creation of the commercial was also consulted with the painter's grandson Mr. John Mucha.

“The reproductions appearing in the television commercial are very well done and we are proud that we can present the famous Mucha's paintings to visitors of Plzeň and our brewery. The brewery's visitors can also get an idea of how monumental Mucha's work is thanks to our faithful reproductions. The entire Slav Epic is on display in Moravský Krumlov castle, four authentic reproductions can also be seen nearer to the place of their creation, the Zbiroh castle,” says Brand PR manager Vladimír Jurina from Plzeňský Prazdroj.

About The Slav Epic series:

  • The twenty-part series The Slav Epic was created by Alfons Mucha in the years 1910–1917 in the Zbiroh castle, where he lived with his family.
  • The series depicts the history of the Czech nation and is comprised of twenty large canvases (the largest measure 8.1 x 6.1 meters).
  • After the completion, Mucha dedicated the series to the Czech nation.
  • The original artworks have been placed in the Moravský Krumlov castle since 1963.

Further information:
Vladimír Jurina, Plzeňský Prazdroj, tel.: +420 257 287 209, +420 724 617 219
Anna Balíčková, AMI Communications, phone: +420 234 124 112, 420 724 012 607

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Notes for editors:

  • With total sales of 10.7 million hectoliters in the year 2008 (including the licence production abroad) and with exports to more than 50 countries worldwide, Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s., is the leading beer producer in the region and the largest exporter of Czech beer.
  • Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s., is a member of SABMiller plc. Pilsner Urquell is the international flagship of the portfolio of SABMiller brands.
  • SABMiller plc is one of the largest brewing companies worldwide with brewing interests or distribution agreements in over 60 countries across six continents. The group's brands include major international brands such as Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Pilsner Urquell, and almost 200 successful regional and national brands. Outside the USA, SABMiller is also one of the largest producers and distributors of Coca-Cola products in the world.

 

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