NICOLÒ ALÈS. — Czech painter, born in Mirotic, Bohemia, on 18 November 1852, died in Prague on 10 July 1913. A pupil of Trenkwald and Sweerts, he soon developed his own style, which he maintained even after his journey to Italy in 1879. As for the content of his works, he drew inspiration from the folk songs of Bohemia. He produced many sacred works, particularly illustrating local saints. He painted six pictorial cycles, of which, among the four that survive, notable is the one titled The Homeland in the National Theatre of Prague. National critics attribute to him a type of nativity scene hence called Czech. Almost foreign to his art, because painted in the Italian manner, are the paintings depicting George of Poděbrady and Matthias Corvinus. He also produced numerous book illustrations.
