In the early 1960s, when the art historian Anna Masaryková was preparing an exhibition of the works of Josef Šíma in the West Bohemian Gallery in Pilsen, she asked the painter living in France to borrow the stained glass designs he created for the city of Reims. By that time, several Ším shows had already taken place in Czechoslovakia, and the granddaughter of the first Czechoslovak president longed for something that could not be seen elsewhere.

“Šíma wanted to exhibit in Pilsen already finished, assembled and lead-encased stained-glass windows, through which light would penetrate and whose visual effect would be as convincing as possible. However, this would be complex from the point of view of possible transport, so after an agreement with Anna Masaryková, he finally lent a series of thirteen stained-glass drawings from 1961,” explains gallery director roman Musil. It was a series of study sketches intended for the decoration of the Vřídelní colonnade in Karlovy Vary, on which Šíma worked with the architect Václav Rajniš.

The Karlovy vary contract was eventually cancelled, but the sketches with the author’s fine handwriting live on – thay are the opening of the current exhibition of Ším’s works called Mezisvěty, which can be seen in the Masná krámy hall in Pilsen until March 1, 2026.

Drawings of gray and gold-toned glasses for Karlovy Vary, as well as a blue-green sample of stained-glass windows from the Reims Church of st. Jakuba can have a double meaning in this context: on the one hand as an illustration of the permeation of shadow and light,on the other hand as a lesser-known chapter of Ším’s work. In short, between worlds.

A Bohemian Rhapsody: Šíma and the Parisian Avant-Garde

The Pilsen exhibition dedicated to Josef Šíma unveils a fascinating glimpse into the artist’s formative years spent amidst the vibrant Parisian avant-garde scene.It reveals an artist deeply influenced by a dynamic surroundings where art seamlessly intertwined with poetry, theater, jazz, and the circus – fostering an openness to Dadaist absurdities and the metaphysical painting of de Chirico.

Šíma himself fondly recalled the legendary Bal Bullier hall, a hub of social activity for Russian emigrants and a stage for extraordinary performances. He described a scene brimming with artistic energy: Fratellini clowns from the Medrano circus, Foujita staging a Japanese theater with a colossal paper dragon, Fernand Léger sporting a boldly divided outfit, and the presence of musical giants like Stravinsky and Prokofiev. The atmosphere culminated in a spontaneous spectacle – a young man dancing naked in a black swimsuit, accompanied by harmonica and drum renditions of the composers’ works.

This immersive experience shaped Šíma’s artistic vision, contributing to what curator Alena Pomajzlová describes as his “open approach” to diverse artistic manifestations. The exhibition further explores the poetic quality inherent in Šíma’s drawings and paintings, delving into the frequently enough-described, yet elusive, connection between his art and the world of poetry.

Josef Šíma: A Retrospective in Pilsen

The West Bohemian gallery in Pilsen is currently hosting a comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the work of Czech artist Josef Šíma (1891-1971). The show explores Šíma’s diverse artistic output,showcasing him as a draftsman,painter,and poster maker. It also includes a selection of his personal correspondence, offering insight into his life and creative process.

Ším’s poetic nature is evidenced by the album paris from 1927, in which he delicately illustrated poems by authors such as Tristan Tzara or Pierre Jean Jouve.

The Pilsen exhibition presents Šíma within the context of his contemporaries,featuring paintings by Jindřich Štyrský,jan Zrzavý,Max Ernst,and Giorgio de Chirico. A especially charming addition to the exhibition is Poo the Horse, a comic strip Šíma created for Lidové noviny.

The exhibition also delves into the theoretical differences between Šíma’s work and that of the surrealist jindřich Štyrský, as explained by linguist Jan Mukařovský. Mukařovský attributes these differences to contrasting concepts of space. He notes that while Šíma consistently depicted the human torso from the 1920s onward, it became a newly expressive motif for Štyrský during the turbulent late 1930s.

According to Alena Pomajzlová, the human torso is a central image of the Pilsen exhibition, representing Šíma’s “Europe.” This work was first exhibited in Prague’s Aventine mansard in 1928. During this period, Šíma was experimenting with a compositional principle inspired by Roman Jakobson, utilizing repeating motifs and shapes that defied conventional logic.