The affluent neighborhood in Prague 6 looks more like a Southern California film set than the home of a contemporary art gallery. Yet there, amid the meticulously manicured lawns and imposing new villas nestled along Malá Šárka park, is one of Prague's best-kept secrets — the Malá Šárka Gallery inside the home of Jana Ježková, a devoted fan of Czech art.

Ježková, 55, believes that in order to fully appreciate art, one must live and breathe it. "You must immerse yourself in the language of art," she says.

That's literally what Ježková did in 1996, after being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She quit her job at the National Theater, where she worked as a lecturer in the drama department, and turned part of her newly built house into a gallery for paintings and sculptures by a handpicked selection of contemporary Czech artists. She shows the work by appointment and makes a commission on what she sells.

"It works because customers can see how the paintings look in a real living room with a real sofa," says Ježková. "They can also borrow the paintings to see how they would look in their homes."

Aside from Ježková's personal affection for art, she wants other people — especially foreigners — to recognize the quality of Czech art. "It is definitely not appreciated enough," she says. "There is so much more than Alfons Mucha!"

Some of the artists in her gallery are internationally famous, others still recognized only locally. Among them are painters Jaroslav Kříž, a master of landscapes; Karolína Mitášová, with her abstract, figurative work; Milan Chabera, recognized for his striking composition; and Pavel Roučka, with his powerful, inventive use of color. Sprouted up here and there are copper sculptures by Pavel Tašovský.

There are also paintings by Jaroslav Chudomel, the living legend of Czech art, who has a permanent collection of realistic landscape works at the National Gallery. And there's Ježková's personal favorite: Jindra Husáriková, the first lady of Czech modern art. "Her amazing work represents the magic of life," says Ježková. "At 75, she's still got it."

Ježková only shows artists that she personally likes. Others have called asking to be in her gallery, she says, but were politely rejected. "The ones I choose, I love," she says.

As at any gallery, buyers have different reasons for acquiring the pieces. "Some people fall in love with a painting and they have to have it," says Ježková. "Others simply use art as an investment." The prices range from about 5,000 Kč ($216) to 200,000 Kč per piece, depending on the artist and the size.

Part of the appeal is the setting — large rooms with high ceilings and lots of windows, more like an artist's loft in SoHo than a family home in Prague. Ježková likes it that way, but she is no bohemian herself. A gentle, gracious hostess, she treats guests not like they're at a gallery, but rather visiting a friend with a remarkably good taste.

"I get tremendous joy from people coming here, looking at the wonderful pieces — there is never any pressure to buy paintings," she says, explaining why she decided to hold a spring open house. "It is important to me that people get to know the works of contemporary Czech artists. And I can help with that."