Max Švabinský (17 September 1873 – 10 February 1962) was a
Czech painter, draughtsman, graphic artist, and professor in Academy of Graphic Arts in
Prague. Švabinský is considered one of the more notable artists in the history of Czech painting and produced significant work during the first half of the 20th century. He was relatively unusual among modernist artists in that his work was accepted by the communist regime; this was due at least in part to his having formed his artistic personality prior to 1900, prior to the advent of cubism. His work was part of the
painting 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 ...
.
Biography
Max Švabinský was born on 17 September 1873 in
Kroměříž. Together with
Jan Preisler,
Antonín Slavíček
Antonín Slavíček (16 May 1870 – 1 February 1910) was a Czech Impressionist painter who worked mostly in the area surrounding Kameničky.
Life
In 1887, he entered the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, where he studied landscape painting with Ju ...
, and
Miloš Jiránek
Miloš Jiránek (19 November 1875 — 2 November 1911) was a Czech Neo-Impressionist painter, art critic and writer.
Biography
Jiránek was born on 19 November 1875 in Lužec nad Vltavou. His father was a landowner and his mother came from a ...
, he was one of the founders of Czech modern art. Early on, Švabinský exhibited period tendencies towards
Plenérian
Realism
Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to:
In the arts
*Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts
Arts movements related to realism include:
*Classical Realism
*Literary realism, a move ...
,
Symbolism, 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 ...
. Some of his most important early works were portraits or family-oriented paintings. Švabinský and his wife Ela often stayed with the Vejrych family in Kozlov near
Česká Třebová. There he was inspired by the picturesque landscape. This is the period in which he painted some of his most famous works.
In Kozlov, at the beginning of the century, he took up graphics systematically, especially etching and Mezzotint. On account of the high quality of his graphic work, he was appointed a professor of the Prague Academy in 1910, and in the same years completed murals for the
Municipal House in Prague. In the pages of Paradisiacal Sonata in 1917, he extended his range with wood engraving, at which time his graphic work began to overtake his painting. During the thirties, he had the chance to work in monumental forms. After the mosaics for the National Monument on
Žižkov Hill, he painted boards for three stained glass windows of the
St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. At the same time, and with the same graphic skill, he was able to design in miniature for a
postage stamp. At the first session of the government in 1945, he was awarded the title of “National Artist”.
Max Švabinský died on 10 February 1962. The cottage in Kozlov (near
Česká Třebová, East Bohemia, Czech Republic) where Max Švabinský stayed has recently been renovated and is now open to visitors. The interior looks just the same as 100 years ago and many of Švabinský's pictures are shown there. The tour can be performed both in Czech and English. Painted "Kamelie", Camellia in 1903.
He also painted in
Serbia and as such he is included in a list of Serbian
alumni who graduated from the
Academy of Fine Arts in Prague in the first decade of the 20th century.
Gallery
Image:CS 100 Korun Kč 1931.jpg, Banknote from Švabinský.
Image:CS 1000 Korun Kč 1934.jpg, Banknote from Švabinský.
Image:Max Vit.jpg, Stained-glass windows in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.
Image:Vit vitraz.jpg, Stained-glass windows in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.
Image: Slavín (hrobka). Vyšehradský hřbitov. (12).jpg, Grave at the Vyšehrad Cemetery in Prague.
References
External links
Radio Prague - SvabinskyČeská Třebová city
{{DEFAULTSORT:Svabinsky, Max
1873 births
1962 deaths
People from Kroměříž
People from the Margraviate of Moravia
Czech stamp designers
20th-century Czech painters
Czech male painters
Olympic competitors in art competitions
Burials at Vyšehrad Cemetery
20th-century Czech male artists