Antonín Machek was a Czech

Czech people

Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...

 painter. His talent was discovered by the Bishop of Hradec Kralove and granted him an apprenticeship with his court painter, Zitta. Trained in the Baroque

Baroque art

Baroque painting is the painting associated with the Baroque cultural movement. The movement is often identified with Absolutism, the Counter Reformation and Catholic Revival, but the existence of important Baroque art and architecture in non-absolutist and Protestant states throughout Western...

 style, he quickly adopted elements of Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...

 in his work, and upon moving to Prague

Prague

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...

 soon became much in demand as a portrait

Portrait

thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...

ist. His greatest works were portraits, however, of which he created hundreds. Today many of his works, including a Cycle of Kings depicting the history of the Bohemian monarchy, are in the collection of the National Gallery in Prague

National Gallery in Prague

The National Gallery in Prague is a state-owned art gallery in Prague, Czech Republic. It is housed in different locations within the city, the largest being the Veletržní Palác....

.

Reference

• Naděžda Blažíčková-Horová, ed. 19th-Century Art in Bohema: (1790-1910) - Painting, Sculpture, Decorative Arts. Prague; National Gallery in Prague, 2009.