Mikoláš Aleš (1852 – 1913)

Mikoláš Aleš was a Czech painter and regarded as one of the best Czech artists. He was born into wealth (however his family were at the time of his birth in debt) outside the town of Písek. Mikoláš Aleš displayed an artistic ability at an early age and furthered his talent from living in Italy from his late 20s on. He returned to his native Bohemia to help fellow Czech painters and artists work on the nation’s pride and joy, the National Theater - a theater to be built for the Czechs by the Czechs. It is said that Mikoláš Aleš published over 5,000 images, not only paintings but also images on playing cards, in magazines and in books.