Last Day in Prague: Mucha Museum and String Quartet in St Martin’s Church in the Wall

For our last day in Prague we first visited a musical instrument museum. Although I am not a musician myself, I enjoyed listening to my peers ‘geek out’ looking at the various instruments and telling me about their specific knowledge. It was interesting learning about the various types of horns from different time periods and how they were used for war and hunting as well as for entertainment. I also liked seeing the various old pianos and harpsichords with beautiful mother of pearl inlay. We even saw one piano that Mozart played while in Prague.

 

Mozart Piano

Afterwards we had some free time and so I went to the Mucha Museum which displays some of the famous Czech artist’s pieces, sketches, and personal family photos. I enjoyed learning about Alfons Mucha’s life and how he is most famous for his art nouveau posters and architecture he designed in Paris, yet he was always proud of his Czech heritage and often used Slavic models. His last works were a series of oil paintings depicting Czech history titled The Slav Epic, one of which was displayed in the museum. His posters advertising Sarah Bernhardt’s performances and his series on the times of day and the four arts were beautiful with fanciful color themes and a contrast of geometric shapes and natural curves. I also liked seeing his initial sketches and personal photos, one of which showed Mucha posing with Gauguin and several other post-impressionists in Paris. I would love to have been in Paris at the turn of the century! Though the museum was not easy to find, it was well worth the trek in the snow to see this special piece of Czech art history.

St Martin's Church in the Wall

That evening we saw a string quartet in St Martin’s Church in the Wall. It was an unforgettable experience listening to a performance in a 12^th century church. Their music selection included many famous classical pieces by composers like Mozart and Vivaldi, however the quartet played very well together and concert overall was wonderful. I enjoy seeing the large professional orchestras, however there is something special about seeing a smaller group of musicians in a more intimate space. I’m sad to leave Prague with its rich history and snow covered battlements, but now off to Salzburg!