František Dvořák, born Bruner, also known as Franz Dvorak or Franz Bruner (14 November 1862, Přelouč - 7 June 1927,

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 ...

) 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. 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. 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, becoming a student of Otto Seitz and Wilhelm von Lindenschmit the Younger. Later, he was able to purchase a studio in the Schwabing district, painting portraits and

genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...

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

occult The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysti ...

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

DVORAK Franz -Austria, Přelouč 1862, Prague 1927 Painter Artist's Artworks passed in Auctions
at www.arcadja.com
Artworks - Artists - Franz Dvorak (1862–1927)
at artuk.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Dvorak, Frantisek 1862 births 1927 deaths 19th-century Czech painters Czech male painters 20th-century Czech painters Academy of Fine Arts in Prague alumni People from Přelouč 19th-century Czech male artists 20th-century Czech male artists Painters from Austria-Hungary

Life and work

Selected paintings

References

Further reading

External links