Václav Brožík (; 6 March 1851 – 15 April 1901) was a

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

painter who worked in the academic style.

Life

Brožík was born on 6 March 1851 in

Třemošná Třemošná (; ) is a town in Plzeň-North District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,100 inhabitants. Administrative division Třemošná consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 cen ...

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(now the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

). He came from a poor family, studying lithography and porcelain painting through apprenticeships. Beginning in 1868, with financial assistance from a local landowner, he was able to attend the Academy of Fine Arts in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

. He made a trip to the Netherlands, where he studied the

Old Masters In art history, "Old Master" (or "old master")Old Masters De ...

, then settled in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

(despite not being able to speak French), where a letter of recommendation assured him the support of Jaroslav Čermák. In 1879 he married Hermina Sedelmeyer, daughter of the wealthy Parisian art dealer Charles Sedelmeyer.4 pictures and biography
at

Art Renewal Center The Art Renewal Center (ARC) is a non-profit, educational organization, which hosts an online museum dedicated to realist art. The ARC was founded by New Jersey businessman, author, and art collector Fred Ross. Particular emphasis is given to ...

For most of his life, he divided his time between Paris and Prague, where he became a Professor at the Art Academy in 1893. He was named a member of the

Institut de France The ; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the . It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute manages approximately ...

, partly through the influence of his father-in-law, who also suggested that he do a painting on the theme "Tu Felix Austria Nube" (from an old saying: "Let others wage war: thou, happy Austria, marry"). The result pleased Emperor

Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...

, who was involved in an unhappy marriage. As a result, Brožík was elevated to the nobility. He also became a member of the

Académie des Beaux-Arts The (; ) is a French learned society based in Paris. It is one of the five academies of the . The current president of the academy (2021) is Alain-Charles Perrot, a French architect. Background The academy was created in 1816 in Paris as a me ...

, received the Grand Cross of the

Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

and was appointed to the Czech Academy of Arts and Sciences. One of his 1884 paintings, showing Columbus soliciting the aid of Queen Isabella, appeared on a United States postage stamp in 1893. His health began to decline in 1894, but he threw himself into painting even more diligently. He died suddenly of heart failure on 15 April 1901 in Paris and was buried in

Montmartre Montmartre ( , , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement of Paris, 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Rive Droite, Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for its a ...

. Appreciation of his work suffered a serious decline after his death, as it was considered old-fashioned, but a major retrospective in 2003 has created some renewed interest.

References

External links

*
Slovensko-Česky Klub: Brožík Retrospective

* ttp://www.radio.cz/print/cz/39130 Radio Prague: Pražská výstava obrazů Václava Brožíka končí už příští týden (Brožík's Retrospective Ends Next Week) by Evelina Himalová (2003) {{DEFAULTSORT:Brozik, Vaclav 1851 births 1901 deaths Academic art Burials at Montmartre Cemetery 19th-century Czech painters Czech male painters People from Plzeň-North District Academy of Fine Arts in Prague alumni Academic staff of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague 19th-century Czech male artists Painters from Austria-Hungary

Life

References

Further reading

External links