These are some of the artists that dedicated their life’s work to the painting of the countryside in Valašsko.
Moravské Valašsko (Moravian Wallachia) is an ethnographic region at the east of the Czech Republic. It’s a mountain region full of forests surrounded by rivers. Part of the region forms a part of today’s Beskydy Protected Landscape Area. The rough but romantic landscapes inspired many local artists, so let’s take a look at those who focused (among other themes) on…
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Rural Painting in Valašsko
Karel Hofman (1906-1998)
This landscape and portrait painter whose painting you can see as the featured picture was born in Jablůnka. He started his artistic career as a porcelain painter (art that he studied formally before attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague). Despite of being in frequent contact with the artistic scene abroad, especially Italy, he chose to stay “at home” and live at the Soláň hill. The local landscape was the greatest source of his inspiration.
Luděk Majer (1925 – 2013)
The academic painter Luděj Majer was born in Hutisko-Solanec near the Soláň hill and showed artistic talents since early childhood. Despite of pursuing artistic education, a part of his career was in the departments of promotion (today we would say marketing) in large companies. Besides painting, he also taught art at a middle school. His artistic portfolio was very variable, it included painting, sgraffitos, book illustrations, mosaics, tapestries and stained glass.
Alois Schneiderka (1896-1958)
Born in Valašské Meziříčí – Křivá, Schneider resided in Uherské Hradiště from where he often traveled abroad. He transitioned from landscapes to figuralism, wanting to capture “the people of Wallachia in their arduous work, delight and sorrow, small mischiefs and shenanigans, in their sensorial and sensual approach to life”. (quote translated from okobeskyd.cz)
Augustin Mervart (1889-1968)
Augustin Mervart was born in Krásno nad Bečvou (nowadays a part of Valašské Meziříčí) into a family of artistic pursuits. He dedicated his work to monumental landscape painting, a career that was only interrupted by his military service in WW I. In fact, he didn’t put the brush down even then and continued painting in Poland, Romania and Ukraine where he was stationed. After the war, he settled down in Přerov.
Jaroslava Hýžová (1915 – 1992)
Jaroslava Hýžová from Prostřední Bečva worked as a teacher until her health changed the course of her life and she decided to follow her dream of painting. Her studies in Prague culminated with several exhibitions. She spent several years in Prague before moving to Valašské Meziříčí where she participated in the cultural life and held artistic sessions.
Her work was influenced by a trip to Paris in 1957, after which her work shows more colors and lights, in the 1960 her work becomes more meditative, Hýžová was more and more fascinated with the Wallachian landscape and nature.
Antonín Strnadel (1910 – 1975)
Despite of spending his adult life in Prague, Antonín Strnadel, born in Trojanovice, liked to return to Wallachia for inspiration. He focused more on figuralism but occasionally painted also landscapes.
Josef Hapka (1912-1987)
Native of the village Podolí in the Hostýn-Vsetín mountains, this landscape painter is also famous for his portraits and figuralism. Although Hapka settled down in Prague, he spent his later years in Zubří.
Hugo Baar (1873 – 1912)
Hugo Baar was born in Nový Jičín. He had a formal education to be a shopkeeper’s assistant, then studied a weaving school and after that art in Vienna and Munich. He founded an atelier in Vienna, however, returned to his birth town at the end of his life.
He was famous for his landscape paintings and was also actively involved in artistic activities in the region.
Antonín Kaderka (1937-2017)
Antonín Kaderka spent his whole life in his hometown Vsetín where he also taught at the local middle school. His work captures the changes of the town as well as the landscape of Wallachia.
Jan Hrnčárek (1918 – 2009)
Native of Fryčovice, Jan Hrnčálek was a renown painter of the landscape of Beskydy Mountains. He was well-traveled and held expositions is cities like Zurych or Liverpool. He dedicated part of his work to tapestries although landscape painting are dominant.
Sources:
The aforementioned are just some of the painters from the beautiful region of Valašsko. To view more of the work by the local artists, I encourage you to visit the following links.
- Oko Beskyd (in Czech)
- Valach.cz (in Czech)
- Osobnosti Valašska (in Czech, featured picture)
- galerieumeni.cz (in Czech)
- Museum of Wallachia (in Czech)
- Moravian Gallery (in Czech)
- Photos of the winter paintings by Richard Sobotka
For more articles about Czech art visit the Art Category.