František Muzika’s painting Oldřich and Božena is a prime example of the artist’s work of the early 1920s, moving as it does between magical realism and primitivism. At the same time, however, the piece is atypical in terms of its mythological theme, which depicts the tale of the unequal marriage of Prince Oldřich with a commoner, the washerwoman Božena. The motif of Prince Oldřich’s encounter with Božena is multilayered and has many meanings and references in Czech art. Perhaps every Czech painter who has since decided to portray this iconic historical myth has had to cope with the influence of Ženíšek’s concept. Muzik’s interpretation, however, is thoroughly modern and up-to-date. The puppet-like rigidity of the figures, together with the deliberate naivety of Muzik’s painterly expression, brings a subtle humour to the traditional subject without turning the work into a caricature. A preparatory drawing has also survived, revealing alterations in the execution of the figures in the painting, as well as minor changes in the composition of the background landscape. Oldřich and Božena was initially presented in 1922 at the Spring Exhibition, the first show held by the Devětsil, an association of Czech avant-garde artists founded in 1920. There, the work was purchased by Paul Petit, Secretary of the French Embassy, who resided in Prague from 1920 to 1924. It remained in his family until 2021, when Prague’s National Gallery purchased it for its collection