Charles IV – Emperor by the Grace of God

This exhibition project sought to present a panorama of more than one hundred years of Europe’s cultural and artistic history linked with the last rulers of the House of Luxembourg and to acquaint visitors with the story of three generations of kings whose varied political ambitions and individual faculties had something in common: an awareness of the importance of communicating through art.

"Charles IV, Emperor by the Grace of God" is one of this decade's major exhibitions. It seeks to evoke Bohemian statehood, the history of the Czech Lands and Prague Castle and to present a unique collection of Czech and international art to the public. For the first time in modern history, the most valuable artworks of Czech origin - scattered among American and European collections - have been successfully gathered in a reconstruction of the rich mosaic of art produced in Prague under the Luxembourgs.
The exhibition was held in New York City on September 19, 2005 to January 3, 2006 and was open in Prague from February 16, 2006 to May 21, 2006. The display comprised more than 220 exhibits loaned by more than 90 galleries, museums and private collections in 15 countries.
This joint project of Prague Castle Administration and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York is the most important cultural and social event of 2006. We expect that its fascinating theme, an extensive promotion and wide-ranging complementary program (involving Prague and other castles in the Czech Republic) will make it one of the year's major cultural events