František Dvořák, born Bruner, also known as Franz Dvorak or Franz Bruner (14 November 1862, Přelouč - 7 June 1927, Prague) was a Czech painter.

Life and work

He was the son of a tailor named Václav Bruner. He later changed his name to "Dvořák", possibly for patriotic reasons. He displayed artistic talent from an early age, and when he was fourteen his father sent him to the pedagogical institute in

Kutná Hora Kutná Hora (; medieval Czech: ''Hory Kutné''; german: Kuttenberg) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. The centre of Kutná Hora, including the Sedlec Abbey and its ossuary, was designa ...

. At the age of seventeen, his desire for an artistic career led him to the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, where he studied with

František Čermák František Čermák (born 14 November 1976) is a Czech retired tennis player. Career In his career, Čermák won 31 doubles titles on the ATP Tour and he was a finalist 24 times. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 14 in Fe ...

. However, feeling that his studies were progressing too slowly, he switched to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, where his teachers were Christian Griepenkerl and Carl Wurzinger. In 1883, he moved to the

Munich Academy of Fine Arts The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (german: Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, also known as Munich Academy) is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany. It is located in the Maxvorstadt district of Munich, in Bavar ...

, becoming a student of

Otto Seitz Otto Seitz, was a 19th-century German painter; born 3 September 1846 in Munich. As a professor with the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, he was the mentor of many major artists. Works His primary subjects were genre scenes, floral still life and ...

and

Wilhelm von Lindenschmit the Younger Wilhelm Lindenschmit (the Younger) (June 20, 1829 – June 8, 1895) was a German history painter who was a native of Munich. He was the son of painter Wilhelm Lindenschmit the Elder (1806–1848). Biography He studied art in Mainz with his u ...

. Later, he was able to purchase a studio in the Schwabing district, painting portraits and genre scenes. As his popularity increased, he began to exhibit in Berlin and Vienna. In 1888, ever restless, he joined with fellow painters

Karel Vítězslav Mašek Karel Vítězslav Mašek (1 September 1865, Prague - 24 July 1927, Prague) was a Czech painter, architect, illustrator and art professor. Life He studied briefly at the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague with Antonín Lhota then, in 1884, transfe ...

and

Alfons Mucha Alfons Maria Mucha (; 24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), known internationally as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech painter, illustrator and graphic artist, living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, best known for his distinctly stylized and decorat ...

on a trip to France, then went on to Italy where he painted portraits for English and American visitors. His contact with Americans piqued his interest, so he went to the United States, settling in Philadelphia. He had his first large exhibition in 1890, followed by shows in New York, Chicago and Detroit, and was personally invited to the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool for a world exposition. In 1905, he returned to Prague, establishing a home and studio on the riverside where he lived until his death. During his stay in the United States, he had come into contact with the New Spirituality and attempted to integrate Eastern spirituality into his paintings. He also did portraits of

Ramakrishna Ramakrishna Paramahansa ( bn, রামকৃষ্ণ পরমহংস, Ramôkṛṣṇo Pôromohôṅso; , 18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886),——— — also spelled Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, born Gadadhar Chattopadhyaya,, was an In ...

and Sarada Devi. His interests influenced his sister Helena, who translated several

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...

classics into Czech. For much of his life, he was better known abroad than at home. His first major exhibition in Prague did not come until 1907.

Selected paintings

File:Dvorak In the Orchard.jpg, In the Orchard (1912) File:Dvorak The Siblings.jpg, The Siblings (1912) File:DvorakReader.jpg, Reader (1906) File:Dvorak na dostizich.jpg, At the Races (1892)

References

External links

ArtNet: More paintings by Dvořák

American Gallery: Paintings by Dvořák

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dvorak, Frantisek 1862 births 1927 deaths 19th-century Czech painters Czech male painters 20th-century Czech painters Academy of Fine Arts, Prague alumni People from Přelouč 19th-century Czech male artists 20th-century Czech male artists

Life and work

Selected paintings

References

Further reading

External links