Věnceslav Černý: Poutník mezi příběhy

Věnceslav Černý (1865–1936) was a pilgrim among stories; between history and legend, between adventure novels, fairy tales, and the world of theater. His illustrations for Jirásek's Old Czech Legends, stories by Karl May, Jules Verne, and Henryk Sienkiewicz are almost iconic.

Věnceslav Černý was active at a time when modern Czech book culture was emerging, and he became one of its defining voices. With his realistic style and sense of storytelling, he had a significant influence on the next generation of illustrators, including Zdeněk Burian, who described him as one of his key role models.

This monograph provides the first comprehensive overview of Černý's life and work. It presents his extensive collections stored in the Memorial of National Literature, the National Museum, and the Regional Museum and Gallery in Železnice,
 and also includes some of his lesser-known free work from public and private collections. The book is being published on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the birth of Věnceslav Černý.