Czech Art Collector Meda Mladkova Dies At 102
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published May 03, 2022 | 02:00 PM
Prague, May 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd May, 2022 ) :Czech art collector Meda Mladkova, who supported artists in Communist-ruled Czechoslovakia from exile in Washington during the Cold War era, died aged 102 on Tuesday, her foundation said.
From the 1960s, Mladkova bought works by modern Czech artists suffering under Moscow's rule and organised exhibitions and scholarships for them.
"One of the most remarkable women of our modern history, an extraordinary personality... Meda Mladkova left us today," Jiri Pospisil, head of the Jan and Meda Mladek Foundation, said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Mladkova left Czechoslovakia for Switzerland after the Communists seized power in 1948.
From 1955 to 1960, she studied art history in Paris, where she founded a publishing house and started to collect paintings by her compatriot Frantisek Kupka, who also lived in France.
In 1960, Mladkova moved to Washington with her husband Jan Mladek, an economist working for the International Monetary Fund.
They bought more than 200 paintings by Kupka, a pioneer of abstract art.
In the late 1960s, Mladkova started travelling back to Czechoslovakia and collecting works by local artists to help them survive.
"All her life, she believed the idea that if culture survives, the nation will survive too," said Pospisil.
Mladkova returned to her native country after the totalitarian Communist rule was toppled in 1989.
She donated the entire collection to the city of Prague following her husband's death in the same year.
Mladkova then established the Jan and Meda Mladek Foundation and transformed a historic building in central Prague into the Kampa Museum with a permanent exhibition of Kupka's works.
For her work as an art collector and benefactor, Mladkova became a Commander of the French National Order of Merit in 2012.
Recent Stories
Journalists call for global action to end Gaza’s humanitarian crisis
CM for generating opportunities to bring direct int'l investment
Pakistan retains position in FTSE secondary emerging market
High Commissioner of Malaysia hosts Iftar dinner reception
NEPRA announces 2nd quarterly adjustment in power bills with Rs 1.68 cut per uni ..
Hoopo Inc. Collaborates with SAU to Install Solar-Powered RO Plant
04 killed in Spain as Storm Nelson looms
Russian military jet crashes into sea off Crimea: Governor
Rain-windstorm/thunderstorm likely at various parts of country
Implementation of Sindh Agriculture Workers Act-2019 demanded
Pandemic accord talks heading for extra time
Khawaja reiterates PM commitment to judiciary
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
Shaheed Jalil Andrabi remembered on his martyrdom anniversary
2 days ago -
Architectural grandeur of Mohabat Khan Mosque attracts visitors, archeology lovers
2 days ago -
Besant Hall cultural centre to hold programme in memory Pir Hassam din Rashdi
4 days ago -
USA beats Mexico 2-0 for CONCACAF Nations League title
4 days ago -
World urged to intervene for peace in Kashmir
5 days ago -
Undeterred resolve – only way to end economic woes
5 days ago
-
Organic Food: A booming trend in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
5 days ago -
From Soil to Harvest: Use of modern technology vital for agricultural renaissance
5 days ago -
Spring season offers glimpse into GB's natural beauty, cultural heritage
5 days ago -
Nation to mark decades’ long journey of resilience through annals of history
7 days ago -
23rd March: A historic day reminds Muslims’ heroic struggle for Pakistan
7 days ago -
Measures urged to recharge depleting water table: Experts
7 days ago