fotoeins | Fotoeins Fotografie

Posts tagged ‘fotoeins’

The Slav Epic, Alfons Mucha, Narodni galerie, National Gallery, Veletrzni Palac, Prague, Praha, Czech Republic, fotoeins.com

My Prague: “The Slav Epic”, Mucha’s Masterpiece

One of the greatest and most important works of Czech art from the early 20th-century was on display in the Trade Fair Palace (Veletržní Palac) in Prague until 2021.

All 20 paintings of “The Slav Epic” (Slovanská epopej) by Alfons Mucha can be viewed in the Czech capital city for the first time in over 80 years. For admirers of Mucha, Art Nouveau and history, the work is easier to reach than ever before and should not be missed.

Mucha’s The Slav Epic is a series of paintings on large canvas, which he completed in 1926. The paintings tell the story and mythology of the Slav peoples, with Mucha imagining the entire work as a commemorative piece to the Czech nation. Each painting spans several metres in both height and width, and stands tall even in a spacious exhibition hall. In every painting, grand scenes and landscapes are shown in a mixture of restrained colours, important figures, and careful details.

From 2021 to 2026, “The Slav Epic” makes its home in Moravia’s Moravsky Krumlov. Beyond 2026, the paintings are supposed to return to Prague for a longer 25-year stay.

( Click here for images and more )

Staroměstské náměstí, Old Town Square, Praha, Prague, Czech Republic, fotoeins.com

My Prague: 5 Spots for Night Photos

(last edited: 19 Jul 2019.)

Prague is very attractive by day, but the Czech capital city is also beautiful at night.

By day, visitors are out and about, moving from one attraction to another. At night, sounds from pub crawls and pre-wedding parties seem to fill the air.

A closer look reveals a romantic side to the city with silent streets and half-empty plazas. A yellow glow settles like a warm and welcoming halo, softening the sharp lines of centuries-old architecture, and smoothing over cobbled stones embedded in old neighbourhood streets.

It’s easy to forget a significant part of central Prague is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the following five locations to view the city at night provide great reminders. Don’t ignore the illuminated city after dark, which is still very safe, and don’t forget to bring your camera when journeying out at night.

( Click here for images and more )

Hamlet castle, Kronborg Slot: Helsingør, Denmark

Visiting Denmark in the summertime means there are many hours of daylight, providing more opportunities to explore. A daytrip train from Copenhagen north to Helsingør takes you through the Danish lowlands next to the sea, but the goal here is a visit to Kronborg Slot (Kronborg Castle).

Does the place, Helsingør, sound familiar?

How about the Anglicized version of the name – Elsinore?

Elsinore is the setting for one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays, “Hamlet”.

Since its designation in 2000, Kronborg Slot (Kronborg Castle) in Helsingør, Denmark is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is commonly known as “Hamlet’s castle.”

( Click here for images and more )

VIVID Sydney lights festival: 2013 highlights

Since 2009, the annual VIVID Sydney festival lights up the city with vibrant colour and imaginative displays. Between 24 May and 10 June, the 2013 version has over 60 light projections on display around Sydney Cove, Walsh Bay, and Darling Harbour.

VIVID Sydney is an important annual wintertime cultural event bringing together light installations, live music, photography, design, creative ideas, and people in one of the largest festivals in the southern hemisphere. With the central display on the sails of the Opera House, the Spinifex Group put their unique spin to “Lighting the Sails.” Also, for the first time, the Sydney Harbour Bridge gets the VIVID treatment.

I’m fortunate to have photographed a variety of installations over six evenings 24, 26, 28, 30 May; and 3 June 2013. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-3qf.

( Click here for images and more )

Sydney Monorail: the final stop after 25 years

(24 June 2013.)

For 25 years, the Metro Monorail (wiki) has allowed both residents and visitors to go between the downtown Central Business District (CBD) and Darling Harbour. After spending some time in Sydney, it’ll be different to view the CBD without seeing the overhead guideway or the monorail sliding in between the buildings.

On the other hand, some argue it’s about time the unsightly eyesore of the monorail disappeared.

What’s certain is that the Sydney Monorail service will cease operations on 30 June 2013.

After many years of abandonment and neglect, Darling Harbour was redeveloped in the late-1980s as a pedestrian vehicle-free tourist area. The redevelopment project included construction of the Sydney Monorail which began operations in 1988. The monorail was built as a single 3.6-kilometre loop with eight stations, connecting the CBD, Darling Harbour, the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, and Chinatown/Haymarket in a complete circuit within 20 minutes.

With little prospect for an upgrade to an aging transport system or for continuing operating funds, the transport authority for the state of New South Wales purchased the company operating the Monorail, and announced in June 2012 monorail operations would stop in one year’s time.

After its final stop on 30 June, the monorail trains will be decommissioned. The track, guideway, and station infrastructure will be dismantled, demolished, and removed. This process will give way for an expanded entertainment, convention, and exhibition centre (International Convention Centre, ICC Sydney) for scheduled completion by the end of 2016, although some disagree with plans to demolish the present convention centre.

“Goodbye, and thanks for the memories …”

Removal of the monorail began August 2013 and was completed by April 2014.

I made the photos above on 2 April, 12 April, and 12 May 2013. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins.com as http://wp.me/p1BIdT-3d3.

( Click here for more )