Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart first came to Prague in 1787 and debuted the “Prague” Symphony. Mozart was recognized simultaneously as both a composer and a performer, something quite unusual in 18th century Europe. On Mozart’s second visit to Prague, the premier of his opera Don Giovanni occurred. Mozart’s joy in Prague has been summed up in the quote attributed to him: “Mein Prager verstehen Mich” (My Praguers understand me).
The exhibition features charming prints depicting scenes from Mozart’s operas. The images are a delightful mix of vivid color, whimsical figures, and pithy quotes from each opera.
Artist Marek Hofman uses the traditional art form sometimes called old master printing. He carves each scene into a block of wood and applies ink. He then presses the inked block onto paper to create the prints. Hofman uses multiple colors to bring the operatic scenes to life.
Hofman, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, is a graphic artist who specializes in illustration and book graphics. Despite the virtual and plastic age, he uses mainly manual techniques, especially woodcuts, wood engravings, and hand typesetting in his art.