Míla in the Palace of the Court of Justice of the EU

A painting by Míla Doleželová is on display in the Palace of the Court of Justice of the EU in Luxembourg

Masaryk University exhibits in the Palace of the Court of Justice of the European Union Union in Luxembourg, a painting by the academic painter Míla Doleželová entitled Na Cestě. It is the only work on display in the premises of the Supreme Court of Justice. EU court from the Czech Republic. The painting has been on loan for 5 years from the permanent exhibition of the artist, which is on display in the University Centre Telč.

For the first time in its history, the Czech Republic has an artistic representation at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg. A painting by the painter Mila Doleželová, On the Road, which was loaned to the EU Supreme Court by Masaryk University from its permanent exhibition of the artist at the University Centre in Telč, was unveiled there. "It is a very significant event for us that the Czech Republic is represented by our painting in the premises of the EU's highest court. People will be able to admire it here for five years until June 2028," said Jaroslav Makovec, Director of the Telč University Centre, who attended the ceremony in Luxembourg together with the Judge of the Court of Justice of the EU, Jan Passer, and the Vice-Rector for Development, Legislation and Information Technology of Masaryk University, Radim Polčák.

"There are many art objects in the Courthouse. It is a combination of donations, permanent loans, long-term loans and shorter-term loans presented by Member States. The Czech Republic has not yet had a work of art at the Court. That all changed a year ago, when the Court was visited by the Vice-Chancellor, Mr Polčák, whom I showed around the building and also presented the artworks here. I mentioned the lack of representation from the Czech Republic and the Vice-Rector responded very spontaneously and positively, saying that Masaryk University could probably help. The Vice-Rector also played a crucial role in the whole negotiation process, so I would like to thank him once again personally," Judge Jan Passer recalled the beginnings of the negotiations, adding that the Committee of the Court of Justice for Works of Art eventually selected the painting On the Road from a proposal of several paintings.

The oil painting On the Road comes from Míla Doleželová's new permanent exhibition, which has been open at the Masaryk University University Centre in Telč since 17 June this year. It is the largest comprehensive collection of paintings by the artist, who is nicknamed "the Czech Frida Kahlo", and includes around 170 works, including large-format paintings, prints and book illustrations. All the works were loaned to Masaryk University for an exhibition by the Czech Dominican Province, which is the heir to the artist's estate according to her will. Míla Doleželová's paintings come from collections in Mexico, Great Britain, France, Israel and the United States.

The artist Míla Doleželová was born in Prostějov in 1922. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, but spent a large part of her life in the Highlands. In 1972, she and her husband, also a painter and graphic artist Jiří Mareš, bought a house on the square in Telč, where she worked until her death in December 1993. For almost ten years after her husband's death, she closed herself off from the world, stopped creating and lived in complete solitude. "It was her wish that her work should remain in Telč, and it took more than thirty years to fulfil this wish. The placement of her painting On the Road in the premises of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg is only a confirmation of the uniqueness of Míla Doleželová's work and the mission of Masaryk University as a modern educational and cultural institution of the 21st century," added Jaroslav Makovec, director of the University Centre in Telč.

Published: 27.6.2023

Radim Sajbot, Spokesman of Masaryk University Rectorate, Žerotínovo nám. 9, 601 77 Brno, M: +420 602 521 182, E: sajbot@rect.muni.cz, www.muni.cz