Study of the First Curtain, destroyed by fire, of the National Theatre in Prague

One of Ženíšek's several studies for the first curtain for the National Theatre, destroyed by fire on 12 August 1881. It is a design of the central field of the curtain with the Genius of Art floating in the middle, while on the right is an allegory of Drama and on the left an allegory of Music, with the attributes of a mask and a musical instrument, symbols of their meaning. Ženíšek focused on striking form and decorative elements, emphasizing the brilliantly executed contour line.