Pride of Prague

A scene from Prague.
It is a symbolic stage that awakens memories of a distant homeland.

In 1960.
The painter, based in Cleveland, Ohio,
James C. Kulhanek, completed this oil painting.
At the time, he was 52 years old.
He was a regionalist painter representing the American Midwest.
At the same time, he worked daily as a commercial artist.

He held something close to his heart throughout his life.
It was a strong pride in his Czech heritage.
Born in 1908, he was a second-generation Bohemian immigrant.
He was born and raised in America.
Nevertheless, Prague, the capital of Czechoslovakia and the root of his family, was special.
For him, it was a place that defined his identity.

However, his oil paintings were never displayed in major museums.
This was because he primarily focused on personal works and commercial design.
Many of his oil paintings were not acquired by public institutions.

So, who has preserved this painting?

On April 1, 1990, the painter passed away.
His surviving works were inherited by his own son.
James F. Kulhanek.
The son carefully preserved the original paintings left by his father.
Not only that.
To leave a testament to his father's life for future generations, he personally scanned the original artworks.
And he officially released them as digital data.