The exhibition is included in the standard admission fee.

The anatomy of Prague’s architecture is revealed in the works of academic painter Tomáš Rygl.

Since early April, the Minorite Friary in Prague has been hosting a unique exhibition titled “Prague in Detail,” which invites us on a journey not only through space but, above all, through time, revealing the secrets of Prague’s most significant landmarks. In his works, Tomáš Rygl does not present architecture as a static backdrop but as a living organism. His unique “X-ray view” method allows us to look beneath the surface of many significant buildings. The works, which depict the most important Czech landmarks, help us understand their internal logic and principles—details that the average visitor in the real world would never have a chance to notice.

Through his paintings, you’ll have the opportunity to “stroll” through Prague from Prague Castle all the way to St. James’s Basilica. Through Hradčany with Strahov Monastery, Loreto as Prague’s most important pilgrimage site, Prague Castle as a symbol of the Czech Republic and the seat of kings, the Neo-Gothic and Gothic sections of St. Vitus Cathedral, Golden Lane, and on through Lesser Town with St. Nicholas Church—Prague’s most famous Baroque church—you’ll reach Prague’s New Town and Vyšehrad. You’ll also get a detailed look at important sites such as the Church of St. Peter and Paul at Vyšehrad, the National Museum, the National Theater, and the Jerusalem Synagogue. And in the Old Town, you’ll get an in-depth look at places such as the Rudolfinum, the Old Town Hall, the Convent of St. Agnes, the Church of Our Lady before Týn, the Municipal House, and, of course, the aforementioned Basilica of St. James the Greater.

During July and August, the exhibition was expanded to include the castle in Jindřichův Hradec, the castle and castle theater in Český Krumlov, large-format maps of Kutná Hora and Jihlava, and a unique view of the Lower Vítkovice District.

The work of Jihlava native, academic painter, and graphic artist Tomáš Rygl is well-known not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad.  After studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, he attended the Glasgow School of Art. In addition to creating multi-layered cross-sections of historical sites today, he has also been drawing maps of metropolitan centers from an aerial perspective since the 1990s and is involved in publishing illustrated panoramic maps and guidebooks to cities, regions, and historical sites.

Tomáš Rygl
Born 1968 in Jihlava
The work of this Jihlava-born academic painter and graphic artist is known both domestically and internationally. After studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, he also studied at the Glasgow School of Art. In addition to creating multi-layered cross-sections of landmarks, since the 1990s he has been drawing maps of metropolitan centers from an aerial perspective. These maps are produced in several language versions. At the beginning of his continuous work, Rygl captured the centers of Prague, Jihlava, Český Krumlov, and Kutná Hora. He is also engaged in publishing illustrated panoramic maps and guides to cities, regions, and historical sites.

The curator of the exhibition is David Černý, an author, journalist, and popularizer of Prague’s history and architecture. He is best known to the public as the author of the bestselling books 25 Secrets of Prague and Magical Secrets of Prague, and as the founder of the successful project I Love Prague.

THANK YOU TO THE PATRONS OF THE EXHIBITION