Emissary from the Far East. Vojtěch Chytil and the collecting of modern Chinese painting in interwar Czechoslovakia

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"The publication provides insight into the complex life story of the artist Vojtěch Chytil (1896-1936) and the history of his collections of modern Chinese ink painting, ancient Chinese art, as well as Tibetan and Japanese art. Despite being mainly a painter and art collector, Chytil tried his luck also in business and politics, which makes his career an interesting example of the intricate paths an individual's fate could take in the interwar Czechoslovakia. His collection, with several dozens of paintings by the legendary master Qi Baishi (1864-1957) leading the list, is reconstructed in its entirety. It has become the core of the collection of modern Chinese painting at the National Gallery Prague and to this day counts among the most remarkable collections of its kind worldwide. The unique graphic design of the book includes elements of original Chinese textile design and bookbinding.