Adolf Zábranský (29 November 1909 – 9 August 1981) 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 ...

illustrator, painter and graphic artist. He is best known for illustrating children's books.

Life

Adolf Zábranský was born on 29 November 1909 in

Rybí Rybí () is a municipality and village in Nový Jičín District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,300 inhabitants. Etymology The name is derived from the watercourse Rybí potok (literally 'fish stream'), which ...

, into a teacher's family. He graduated from a gymnasium in

Valašské Meziříčí Valašské Meziříčí (; ) is a town in Vsetín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monum ...

. He then studied at the

Faculty of Arts, Charles University The Faculty of Arts, Charles University (), is one of the original four faculties of Charles University in Prague. When founded, it was named the Faculty of the Liberal Arts or the Artistic Faculty. The faculty provides lectures in the widest ran ...

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 ...

, but after a year, he moved to the

Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague The Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (AAAD, , abbreviated VŠUP, also known as UMPRUM) is a public university located in Prague, Czech Republic. The university offers the study disciplines of painting, illustration and graphics, ...

(1929–1932). He graduated in general drawing there and then continued his studies at the

Academy of Fine Arts in Prague The Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (; AVU) is an art college in Prague, Czech Republic. Founded in 1799, it is the oldest art college in the country. The school offers twelve master's degree programs and one doctoral program. History Starting ...

. Zábranský died on 9 August 1981 in Prague, at the age of 71. He was buried at the

Vyšehrad Cemetery Established in 1869 on the grounds of Vyšehrad Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, the Vyšehrad Cemetery () is the final resting place of many composers, artists, sculptors, writers, and those from the world of science and politics. The center ...

in Prague.

Work

The historical motifs of

Mikoláš Aleš Mikoláš Aleš (18 November 1852 – 10 July 1913) was a Czech painter. Aleš is estimated to have had over 5,000 published pictures; he painted for everything from magazines to playing cards to textbooks. His paintings were not publicized to ...

and

Josef Mánes Josef Mánes (12 May 1820, Prague – 9 December 1871, Prague) was a Czech painter. Life He came from a family of painters, which included his father Antonín, his uncle and Director of the Prague Art Academy Václav, his brother Quido and ...

became the model for Zábranský's work. In 1943, he became a member of the

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 in ...

, and from 1949 he was a member of the Union of Czechoslovak Artists. He is best known for his book illustrations. Among the notable books illustrated by Zábranský are the children's books ''Hanýžka a Martínek'' and ''Když se čerti rojili'' by

Jindřich Šimon Baar Jindřich Šimon Baar (7 February 1869 – 24 October 1925) was a Czech Catholic priest and writer, realist, author of the so-called ''country prose''. He joined the Czech ''Catholic modern style'', but later severed the ties with that movement ...

, ''Je nám dobře na světě'' by

František Hrubín František Hrubín (17 September 1910 – 1 March 1971) was a Czechs, Czech poet and writer. Biography Frantisek Hrubín was born into the family of a builder at Prague. His family lived in Lešany (Benešov District), Lešany near Prague durin ...

, ''Ze starých letopisů'' by

Ivan Olbracht Ivan Olbracht, born Kamil Zeman (6 January 1882 – 20 December 1952), was a Czech people, Czech writer, journalist, censor and translator of German language, German prose. Biography The son of writer Antal Stašek and his Jewish-born Catholic ...

and ''Národní pohádky a pověsti'' by

Václav Beneš Třebízský Václav Beneš Třebízský (27 February 1849 – 20 June 1884) was a Czechs, Czech priest and writer. Despite his short life, he was a very prolific author and was one of the most popular Czech writers of his time. He wrote mainly historical nov ...

. Zábranský also designed posters (especially after 1950) and painted. He was involved in designs for

sgraffito (; ) is an artistic or decorative technique of scratching through a coating on a hard surface to reveal parts of another underlying coating which is in a contrasting colour. It is produced on walls by applying layers of plaster tinted in con ...

of a monumental decorative nature with elements of socialist realism. He had four solo exhibitions during his lifetime (1943, 1963, 1978, 1980) and several more solo exhibitions posthumously. His work can be found in many important Czech galleries, including

National Gallery Prague The National Gallery Prague (, NGP), formerly the National Gallery in Prague (), is a state-owned art gallery in Prague, which manages the largest collection of art in the Czech Republic and presents masterpieces of Czech and international fine a ...

Honours

Zábranský's illustrations have received international recognition. In 1972 he received the

Hans Christian Andersen Award The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are two literary awards given by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), recognising one living author and one living illustrator for their "lasting contribution to children's literature". Th ...

. In 1970, he was awarded by the Czechoslovak State with the title of

National Artist National Artist is an honorary title issued by some states as the highest recognition of artists for their significant contributions to the cultural heritage of the nation. An equivalent title, People's Artist, has been known in countries of the ...

. In 1979, he received the Order of Victorious February (awarded for exceptional services to the communist and socialist ideals of the state). There is a commemorative plaque on Zábranský's birthplace in Rybí (now serving as a primary school).

References

External links

*
Complete list of books illustrated by Adolf Zábranský
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zabransky, Adolf 1909 births 1981 deaths People from Nový Jičín District Czech graphic designers 20th-century Czech illustrators Czech children's book illustrators Czech stamp designers 20th-century Czech painters Czech male painters 20th-century Czech male artists Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague alumni Academy of Fine Arts in Prague alumni Burials at Vyšehrad Cemetery Czech poster artists

Life

Work

Honours

See also

References

Further reading

External links