ABSTRACT
The Czech peasant commonly emerged in the writings, songs, and images of patriotic artists as a romanticised symbol of Czech national identity and the keeper of ancient traditions, and as such became the focus of nationalistic feeling in the arts. Members of Czech political and cultural life at the end of the 19th century realised the political, ideological, and cultural potential of exhibitions following the Weltausstellung in Vienna in 1873, and the 1885 national exhibition in Budapest. The promotion of and praise for what was seen as authentic Czech culture was evident throughout the exhibition grounds, and was most prominent in the display of vernacular art and culture in the Ceska chalupa. The Czechoslavic Ethnographic Exhibition and its success and aftermath in terms of the establishment of regional ethnographic museums and collections, together with the more global revival of arts, crafts, and traditional skills in fine art, all contributed to the rise of interest in the local vernacular culture.
