Exhibitions - March 2023

The ugly manuscripts of Crux of Telč (1434-1504)
February 3 – March 19, 2023

Opening ceremony - Photogallery

Most of the medieval manuscripts stored in the National Library of the Czech Republic date from the 14th and 15th centuries. These codices are not illuminated or made of rare parchment, but often untidy or "ugly" paper volumes for practical use. The exhibition presents those that passed through the hands of a single very active scribe, Crux of Telč who copied or annotated more than 25,000 pages with various texts. This precious collection is a unique testimony to medieval thought and culture.

The Klementinum Gallery
Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm
Admission free

Panel Exhibition: The Beauty of Noble Ex Libris and Supralibros
February 1 – March 31, 2023

Poster

A book has always been a specific type of property and is still one of the most borrowed objects. That´s why people marked the ownership of their books in an original way, trying thus to protect the book against thieves or unscrupulous borrowers.

Klementinum, first floor (gate A)
Mon - Sat 9 am - 7 pm (in the NL Opening Hours)
Admission to the exhibition for the NL registered users and those with a one-day Admission Ticket in the NL Opening Hours
NL readers entrance free

The Initials
March 29 - May 7, 2023

Poster

The exhibition is the result of a joint project of two studios of Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art, University of West Bohemia, Pilsen. The project was led by Renáta Fučíková, Kristina Fišerová and Rostislav Vaněk.
The word Initial comes from Latin Initium, a beginning. The Guide to Illuminated Manuscripts says that it is an enlarged and decorated letter introducing an important section of a text. Initials can have a different level of significance. Among the most common forms of initials are decorated, anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, zoo-anthropomorphic, gymnastic, inhabited or historiated. In the collections of the National Library of the CR you can find a large number of examples which prove the transformation of historical periods, styles and handwriting of both known and unknown authors.
The Initial was the theme assigned to students of the two studios. The display features some of their works.

The Klementinum Gallery
Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm
Admission free

Nine Years with LUSTR Illustration Festival
February 1 - March 28, 2023

Poster - Opening ceremony - Photogallery

LUSTR festival of illustration and comics will celebrate 10th anniversary this autumn. The exhibition at the Klementinum offers the visitors a unique opportunity to see the illustrated posters from all ten years together. Their authors were such top Czech illustrators like Ilona Polanski, Juliána Chomová, Patrik Antczak, Maria Makeeva, Jakub Bachorík, Barbora Idesová, Michal Bačák etc. Exhibited are also selected art prints that starred at festivals in the past years. The artworks are for sale.

Klementinum, ground floor (gate A)
Mon - Sat 9 am - 7 pm (in the NL Opening Hours)
Admission to the exhibition for the NL registered users and those with a one-day Admission Ticket in the NL Opening Hours
NL readers entrance free

What Library? The National Library!
January 9 – March 31, 2023

Do you know, what happens when a library is flooded? How many football teams would be made of Czech librarians? Why books were chained in the past? You can find answers to these questions and many others in the National Library´s fun educational trail.

Klementinum, ground floor (gate A)
Mon - Sat 9 am - 7 pm (in the NL Opening Hours)
Admission to the exhibition for the NL registered users and those with a one-day Admission Ticket in the NL Opening Hours
NL readers entrance free