Jan Knap: Windows to Paradise
about exhibition
- EXHIBITION: Jan Knap: Windows to Paradise
- DATES: June 4 – October 18, 2026
- OPENING RECEPTION: June 4, 2026, at 7:00 PM
- VENUE: Archdiocesan Museum Olomouc, Gallery
- CONCEPT AND CURATORS: Miriam Kolářová, Jan Šícha
- EXPERT COLLABORATION: Gabriela Elbelová, Jana Hrbáčová, Miroslav Kindl, Martina Potůčková, Miroslav Schubert, Helena Zápalková
- CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION: Jakub Barna, Veronika Klimszová, Anna Píšťková
- GRAPHIC DESIGN: Kateřina Puncmannová
- LANGUAGE EDITING: Zuzana Henešová
- TRANSLATION: Kateřina Báňová
- LOANERS: Jan Knap, Archdiocese of Olomouc, Diocese of Litoměřice, North Bohemian Gallery Litoměřice, private lenders
Paintings still wet from Jan Knap’s studio have arrived at the Archdiocesan Museum in Olomouc for the exhibition Windows to Paradise. True to his adventurous nature, the artist created several new canvases at the last minute for his solo exhibition. One of the most internationally successful Czech artists is presenting works inspired by biblical stories and the art of Renaissance painters at the Archdiocesan Museum from June 4 to October 18, 2026. In addition to Knap’s most recent oil paintings, visitors will also see his earlier works from the period when he was still creating in the USA and Italy. Also on display are lesser-known illustrations for fairy tales, which are among the very earliest works in his oeuvre.
The exhibition is further enriched by works by Old Masters, such as the rare painting Madonna in a Enclosed Garden (1494) by the Master of the Tiburtine Sibyl, on loan from the Diocese of Litoměřice, and Madonna with Animals (after 1503) by a follower of Dürer from the permanent collection of the Archdiocesan Museum. Thanks to this curatorial approach, visitors are offered the opportunity to directly compare traditional iconographic depictions with the distinctive style of Jan Knap, whose seemingly naive and charming scenes may conceal drama. “This is evident, for example, in the painting of a basket of apples. Next to the still life, which references Knap’s longstanding interest in Cézanne, lies a knife. At first glance, it is an ordinary object used to cut an apple. However, in the view from the window, we see a grazing sheep in the background—a symbol of innocent sacrifice, as we know it, for example, from the story of the sacrifice of Isaac. “This approach can be called meditative iconography: the individual motifs are not merely decorative details, but prompts for a slow reading of the painting. It is only through their interrelationships that they reveal the deeper meaning of the entire scene,” explains curator Miriam Kolářová.
The title of the exhibition, Windows to Paradise, refers to Fra Angelico’s frescoes in the San Marco monastery in Florence. In the small monastic cells, a tiny window opened onto the space of the Garden of Eden, while Angelico’s larger fresco offered a much broader view: into a space of silence and spiritual meditation. It is precisely this concept of a painting as a window into another reality that inspired the title of Knap’s exhibition. Jan Knap himself views his art as a meditation on life: “A painting is a window into a deeper reality,” says the painter. “Windows reveal visible things that can move a person to see what lies beyond them.”
The painter Jan Knap (*1949) lives in Planá near Mariánské Lázně in a Gothic house that he restored. After an adventurous escape from Czechoslovakia in 1969, he made his way to Brazil via Hungary and Germany. In the early 1970s, he returned to Germany, where he studied under Gerhard Richter. He later lived in New York, briefly served in the U.S. Marine Corps, spent two years in a Buddhist monastery, and also studied at a theological seminary in Rome. In 1992, he returned to Czechoslovakia with his family. Jan Knap is one of the most internationally successful Czech artists. He has exhibited in renowned galleries in Europe and the U.S., and there is interest in his work in Japan and Taiwan.
The title of the exhibition, Windows to Paradise, refers to Fra Angelico’s frescoes in the San Marco monastery in Florence. In the small monastic cells, a tiny window opened onto the space of the Garden of Eden, while Angelico’s larger fresco offered a much broader view: into a space of silence and spiritual meditation. It is precisely this concept of a painting as a window into another reality that inspired the title of Knap’s exhibition. Jan Knap himself views his art as a meditation on life: “A painting is a window into a deeper reality,” says the painter. “Windows reveal visible things that can move a person to see what lies beyond them.”
The painter Jan Knap (*1949) lives in Planá near Mariánské Lázně in a Gothic house that he restored. After an adventurous escape from Czechoslovakia in 1969, he made his way to Brazil via Hungary and Germany. In the early 1970s, he returned to Germany, where he studied under Gerhard Richter. He later lived in New York, briefly served in the U.S. Marine Corps, spent two years in a Buddhist monastery, and also studied at a theological seminary in Rome. In 1992, he returned to Czechoslovakia with his family. Jan Knap is one of the most internationally successful Czech artists. He has exhibited in renowned galleries in Europe and the U.S., and there is interest in his work in Japan and Taiwan.
PUBLICATIONS AND GUIDES
An accompanying publication featuring a wealth of text and images is being released in conjunction with the exhibition. It includes contributions from experts and friends; early drawings trace the artist’s development, while reproductions of his paintings invite viewers into Paradise and showcase his unmistakable artistic style.
Visitors can use an audio guide during the exhibition, which they can download to their phones via the Cabinet of Wonders app. Thanks to AI technology, visitors can even interact with the electronic guide.
EDUCATIONAL LINE
On the museum’s first floor, visitors can explore an immersive educational zone that offers the opportunity to delve deeper into the atmosphere of Knap’s paintings. The space is designed for contemplation, creative activities, and interactive learning—visitors can create art, play, or take photos here.
The exhibition will also feature a specially designed educational tour for young visitors. A modified version of the audio guide in the Cabinet of Wonders app will guide children through the exhibition in a sensitive and accessible manner. During the tour, they can create a figure—one of the most distinctive motifs in Knap’s work—right in the exhibition space and take it home as a small souvenir.
An accompanying publication featuring a wealth of text and images is being released in conjunction with the exhibition. It includes contributions from experts and friends; early drawings trace the artist’s development, while reproductions of his paintings invite viewers into Paradise and showcase his unmistakable artistic style.
Visitors can use an audio guide during the exhibition, which they can download to their phones via the Cabinet of Wonders app. Thanks to AI technology, visitors can even interact with the electronic guide.
EDUCATIONAL LINE
On the museum’s first floor, visitors can explore an immersive educational zone that offers the opportunity to delve deeper into the atmosphere of Knap’s paintings. The space is designed for contemplation, creative activities, and interactive learning—visitors can create art, play, or take photos here.
The exhibition will also feature a specially designed educational tour for young visitors. A modified version of the audio guide in the Cabinet of Wonders app will guide children through the exhibition in a sensitive and accessible manner. During the tour, they can create a figure—one of the most distinctive motifs in Knap’s work—right in the exhibition space and take it home as a small souvenir.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)