Václav Mánes

Who is Václav Mánes?

Václav Mánes was a Czech painter. He was the brother of Antonín Mánes and uncle of Quido and Josef Mánes and Amalie Mánesová, all of whom were also painters. Some of his work may today be seen in the collections of the National Gallery in Prague. Little is known of him; even the date of his birth is uncertain. He never married and lived and worked in his brother's household for the duration of his career. He spent three years living and working in Rome, where his chief companions were members of the Nazarenes. Stylistically, his work hovered somewhere between neoclassicism and Romanticism. He served as director of the Prague Academy from 1835 to 1836 and again in 1840. He won some acclaim for his depictions of scenes from the Bible, and painted portraits as well.