She received a degree in art history and classical archaeology in 1956 from the Faculty of Arts of the Masaryk University, where she went on to receive a doctorate in art history and theatre science in 1967. She became an associate professor at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in 1996. After she arrived in Prague, she first worked at the Museum of Decorative Arts and the National Heritage Institute. In 1959, she took on a position at the Theatre Institute as an expert staff member of the Scenography Department and remained there until 1995. She has lectured in Prague at the Faculty of Art of Charles University and the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts, in Olomouc at Palacký University, and in Brno at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts.

As a historian and theoretician, she specialises primarily in the history of twentieth century scenography. In the past, she was a member of the Czech OISTAT (International Organisation of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians) Centre. She was married to the playwright, dramaturge, and actor Jaromír Ptáček (1925–2003).