The date of the holiday is not at all coincidental, on this day in 1964 the American probe Mariner 4 was launched, which a few months later, specifically between July 14 and 15, was the first to successfully fly by Mars and take pictures of its surface. The ancient Romans named the planet after their god of war and agriculture, precisely because the reddish color reminded them of blood. To this day, Mars is often referred to as the red planet – the red-looking surface is caused by the oxidation of iron minerals in the soil there.

To celebrate Mars, we have selected work from the gallery collections by the painter and graphic artist Josef Lehoučka (July 12, 1923 – December 7, 1999). In 1945–50, he studied at the Academy of Applied Arts under František Tichý and after his studies he worked as a publicity clerk, ceramist, or even a crane operator. He has been consistently painting since the second half of the 1960s. He was greatly influenced by František Tichý in his work, and he also found inspiration in surrealism. Abstract and fantastic motifs, geometric shapes, and elements of the industrial environment most often appear in his works.

Jana Jarošová, November 28, 2024