The exhibition catalogue of the National Gallery in Prague introduces the theme of ice skating and ice hockey in the fine arts. Since its inception in the early 20th century, this team sport has enjoyed great popularity in the Czech lands, with ice hockey matches holding outmost importance in various historical contexts. Even before the rise of ice hockey, people were eager skaters – a fact demonstrated in both the catalogue and the exhibition. The individual chapters of the catalogue, divided into one history-related and four art-historical studies, trace these developmental stages. Drawing primarily from the Czech collections, the chapters explore the representation of this sport in the fine arts, both in the past and also in the present, as many artists have created their works specifically for this exhibition. Thus, the catalogue introduces a theme that has not yet been explored or presented in such depth before.
