MYTHIC BOHEMIA: DVOŘÁK’S VILLA AND LAKE RUSALKA SPECIAL EXHIBITION IN THE DVOŘÁK ROOM
As part of the Rusalka Celebration in the Bohemian National Hall, this special Dvořák Room presentation explored Antonín Dvořák’s beloved country house at Vysoká and its scenic surroundings in recent photographs by noted Czech photographer Eva Heyd. Finding inspiration in nature, Dvořák composed the opera Rusalka (The Water Nymph) over a period of seven months in 1900, largely in this idyllic setting. When away, he constantly longed for Vysoká, only in the atmosphere of the woods and lakes of mythic Bohemia, nourished by Czech fairy tales and the libretto of poet Jaroslav Kvapil, could Dvořák have created his universally treasured water nymph Rusalka.
Curated by Majda Kallab Whitaker, Dvořák American Heritage Association. Photography by Eva Heyd. With special thanks to Antonín Dvořák III and the Czech Museum of Music, Antonín Dvořák Museum, Prague.
Born in Prague, Eva Heyd began her career as a professional photographer and journalist in what was then Czechoslovakia. In 1985 she emigrated to the United States, where she lived for twenty years, working as a photographer for prestigious museums and galleries in New York. Currently active as a journalist, photographer, and writer, she also teaches, curates art shows, and acts as a coordinator of the Czech National Trust. In her own artwork, she concentrates on art projects experimenting with the use of photographic images. She has exhibited in leading galleries in New York as well as other parts of the United States and Europe.
Majda Kallab Whitaker is an independent scholar and curatorial consultant specializing in subjects related to late nineteenth and early twentieth century cultural and design history. She has acted as advisor for the Dvořák Room project since 2006, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Dvořák American Heritage Association and its parent organization, the Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association.
