Aleš, Mikoláš (1852-1913).

Though Josef Manes was the country's first "great" painter of the modern era, it is Ales who has won the hearts of the people as the most Czech painter. His realist paintings of ordinary Czech life showed village life as it was without Manes's romanticizing. His output was prodigious and ranged from his famous lunettes in the National Theater (=> Národní divadlo) and large-scale historical scenes to illustrations for magazines and text books, shooting targets, playing cards, calendars, and post cards.