Cesta do hlubin sběratelovy duše : Sbírka moderního umění ostravského sběratele Vladimíra Kouřila ve světle jeho dopisů

On the basis of the extant correspondence of the lawyer and collector of Czech modern art Vladimír Kouřil (1902–1990) from Ostrava, the article attempts to reconstruct at least in broad outline the results of his endeavours as a collector. Taking into account at the same time contemporary views on collecting, it provides a view into the depths of the collector's soul, attempts to clarify the motives that led him to take an interest in collecting contemporary art, and finally presents the strategies and approaches that he used in systematically expanding his collection through the addition of high-quality works by leading representatives of Czech visual art in the first half of the 20th century.