Josef Mařatka (21 May 1874,

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

– 20 April 1937, Prague) was a Czech sculptor.

Life

His father, Wilhelm Mařatka, was a

shoemaker Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or cobblers (also known as '' cordwainers''). In the 18th century, dozens or even hundreds of masters, journeymen ...

. From 1889 to 1896, he studied at the

School of Applied Arts A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

under

Celda Klouček Celda Klouček (born Celestýn Klouček; 6 December 1855, Senomaty – 14 October 1935, Prague) was a Czech sculptor, designer, teacher, and paleontologist. Life and work He began his studies at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in P ...

,Brief Biography
@ Who Was Who in Our History in the 20th Century who was a

paleontologist Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

as well as a sculptor. In 1899, he attended the

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute o ...

, where he studied with

Josef Václav Myslbek Josef Václav Myslbek (20 June 1848 – 2 June 1922) was a Czech sculptor and medalist credited with founding the modern Czech sculpting style.Stech, V. V. Josef Vaclav Myslbek, Prague, 1954. Artia. Life Josef grew up poor in a suburb of Prague ...

. The following year, he went to Paris and was briefly employed in the studios of

Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor, generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a uniqu ...

. His first exhibition was held in Prague in 1902. He married Zdeňka Procházková (1890–1980) in 1912. Their son, , became a prominent

gastroenterologist Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- “belly”, -énteron “intestine”, and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract, ...

. He began by responding to the influences he had absorbed from the

expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

movement, incorporating elements of

symbolism Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: Arts * Symbolism (arts), a 19th-century movement rejecting Realism ** Symbolist movement in Romania, symbolist literature and visual arts in Romania during the late 19th and early 20th centuries ** Russian sy ...

and

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

. His most important work from this period is the ''Opuštěna Ariadna'' (Abandoned

Ariadne Ariadne (; grc-gre, Ἀριάδνη; la, Ariadne) was a Cretan princess in Greek mythology. She was mostly associated with mazes and labyrinths because of her involvement in the myths of the Minotaur and Theseus. She is best known for having ...

, 1903). He later came under the influence of

Antoine Bourdelle Antoine Bourdelle (30 October 1861 – 1 October 1929), born Émile Antoine Bordelles, was an influential and prolific French sculptor and teacher. He was a student of Auguste Rodin, a teacher of Giacometti and Henri Matisse, and an important fi ...

. After World War I, he returned to the styles he had learned from Myslbek, combining

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

with a bit of early

Socialist Realism Socialist realism is a style of idealized realistic art that was developed in the Soviet Union and was the official style in that country between 1932 and 1988, as well as in other socialist countries after World War II. Socialist realism is ch ...

; for example, ''Praha svým vítězným synům'' (Prague's Victorious Sons) at the

Emmaus Monastery The Emmaus Monastery ( cs, Emauzy or ''Emauzský klášter''), called Na Slovanech in the Middle Ages, is an abbey established in 1347 in Prague. It was the only Benedictine monastery of the Kingdom of Bohemia and all Slavic Europe. In the 136 ...

. The monument was destroyed during the

German Occupation German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...

and restored in 1998. After 1920, he worked as a Professor at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design. Between 1921 and 1926, he created thirteen monuments of various sizes, honoring Czech President,

Tomáš Masaryk Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (7 March 185014 September 1937) was a Czechoslovak politician, statesman, sociologist, and philosopher. Until 1914, he advocated restructuring the Austro-Hungarian Empire into a federal state. With the help of t ...

, one of which is in San Francisco. His work was also part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

References

Writings/Further reading

* Josef Mařatka: ''Vzpomínky a záznamy'' (Memories and Records), introduction by Petr Wittlich, Prague, Karolinum, 2003, * ''Josef Mařatka : 1874-1937'', exhibition catalog, Gottwald Regional Art Gallery, 1989 * ''Josef Mařatka'', introduction by Jaromír Pečírka, Prague,

Mánes Union of Fine Arts The Mánes Association of Fine Artists ( or ''S.V.U.''; commonly abbreviated as ''Manes'') was an artists' association and exhibition society founded in 1887 in Prague and named after painter Josef Mánes. The Manes was significant for its inte ...

, Melantrich, 1942

External links

Events of the Day (Událost Dne)
Brief Biography with comments from Mařatka's grandson, the composer
Muzeum Moderního Umĕní
Mařatka's "Deserted Ariadne" (in English)
Galerie Plastik Hořice
Mařatka's memorial for the actress

Hana Kvapilová Hana Kvapilová (29 November 1860 — 8 April 1907) was a Czech actress. Early life Johanna Kubesch (Hana Kubešová) was born in Prague, the daughter of Gustav Kubeš. Career Kubešová became a member of the National Theatre in Prague in 188 ...

. An appreciation by Jana Cermanová. * List of works relating to Mařatka in the

National Library of the Czech Republic The National Library of the Czech Republic ( cs, Národní knihovna České republiky) is the central library of the Czech Republic. It is directed by the Ministry of Culture. The library's main building is located in the historical Clementinum b ...

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Maratka, Josef 1874 births 1937 deaths Czech sculptors Czech male sculptors Artists from Prague 20th-century sculptors Olympic competitors in art competitions