Discover the Evolution of Chromolithography in Advertising and the Arts: An Exhibition from Kitsch to High Art

This exhibition delves into the art and technique of chromolithography, a sophisticated multi-color printing method popular in the late 19th century. It explores its evolution from a painting-like reproduction technology to an independent medium in advertising and its eventual 'cheap and cheerful' commercial use, showcasing examples from the Czech lands and abroad.

At the height of its fame in the second half of the 19th century, chromolithography was an exclusive, sophisticated technique of multi-color registration. This exhibition examines how the distribution of images into a small grid, allowing for smooth coloring transitions and soft modeling, defined the visual language of chromolithographic prints, characterized by the concept of the illusive. Over time, the role of chromolithography shifted from a reproduction technology aiming to mimic painting to an independent medium in advertising, and finally to a purely service function in both exact scientific illustrations and "cheap and cheerful" commercial prints, which unfortunately led to its bad reputation. Consequently, art historical disciplines long undervalued exceptional works created with this extremely demanding technique, particularly advertising posters, diplomas, and calendars. Research attention to chromolithography emerged in the 1970s, coinciding with a paradigm shift in the classical hierarchization of high and low art and the expansion of interdisciplinary visual culture studies that appreciated artistically marginal, non-canonical manifestations, including advertising. Simultaneously, there has been a growing interest in commercialization and the democratization of art, directly linked to chromolithography's initial role in reproducing paintings and making unique works accessible to a wider audience, raising questions about the value of the original and the devaluation of art. The exhibition showcases chromolithography in the full range of its manifestations, featuring exemplary prints by significant lithographers and lithographic institutes active in the Czech lands, such as Habel, Haase, Fuchs, and Pick, alongside works from abroad. It also provides a closer look at the technical issues and skills essential for deploying this method. Presented materials include reproductions of paintings, print advertisements, calendars, diplomas, educational and scientific illustrations, sacred images, and small commercial prints. A dominant feature of the exhibition is a large collection of early pictorial posters, which serve as key material documenting stylistic changes, aesthetic preferences, and providing valuable historical information about the drastic societal changes in 19th-century society concerning lifestyle, the birth of a consumer society, and shifts in traditional gender hierarchies.

General admission is CZK 150, with a concession price of CZK 80. Ticket purchases can be made via the provided link, which directs to 'Moje Muzeum P+M Vstup do 4 objektů'.