Emma Srncová: Romance of Prague

Emma Srncová, born in 1942 in Prague, is the artist behind the series of artworks called Romance of Prague in the late 20th century. During this time period, communist Czechoslovakia had many strict art policies, as anything that went against communist ideologies or was controversial wasn't allowed. The only art style allowed in this period was socialist realism, and while Emma's art didn't inherently depict anything controversial, her surrealistic art style broke the law. She went unnoticed by authorities, however, most likely due to her work not depicting anything that went against communist ideologies. 

Her art career first started when she accepted a job offer to become an actress in the Black Light Theatre of  Jiří Srnec, where she stayed for many years. During her time there, she began to paint either for herself or create backdrops and sets for the theater. In 1980, painting became her profession, and she showed her art all over the world. In total, over 170 exhibits. Now she exclusively exhibits in the Czech Republic.

Her medium of choice is oil painting for her work, unless she is making copies. For copies, she uses lithography (color graphics). Lithography is a printmaking technique that uses flat plates made of limestone. The artist would draw or paint on the limestone using greasy chalk or a pencil. Only a limited number of copies are printed, and Emma herself only prints about ninety-nine copies of her work. With lithography, everything is definitive, with very little room for mistakes. However, it makes it an appealing medium to work with, as even though it's a copy, there will always be something unique about each one. 

ARTIST
Emma Srncová

TITLE
Romance of Prague

DATE
20th Century

MEDIUM
Oil Painting
Lithography

DIMENSIONS
Unknown

CREDIT LINE
Emma Srncová

CURRENT LOCATION
Czech Center Museum
4920 San Jacinto St.
Houston, TX 77004
Archives

ACCESSION NUMBER

CLASSIFICATION
Painting

PROVENANCE
Prague