Filla - Pocket Paintings

The Pocket Paintings edition series presents works by artists from the collections of the National Gallery in Prague. It compares interesting details of their paintings with other visual material or work by other artists, and this pictorial content is accompanied by succinct texts composed of statements by artists or art critics, and issues that merit further attention. The publication nurtures the art of observation and the skill of looking. The gradually emerging collection presents different approaches to artistic thinking across the centuries

The volume dedicated to Emil Filla (1882–1953) showcases the richness of his artistic positions and emphasizes themes such as sources of inspiration, the symbolism of colors, and his signature composition of visual arrangements, from preparatory drawings to final paintings. It also offers connections and comparisons with the old masters and other significant figures of the avant-garde. Through specific examples, it demonstrates how Filla systematically worked with his personal visual archive and atlas of motifs and themes in his creative process.