Jano Köhler (sometimes spelled Jano Koehler; 9 February 1873 – January 1941) was a Czech painter. He is known for decorating sacral buildings with

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

es and sgraffiti.

Life and education

Köhler was born in a Czech-German family, but his German father died soon after. He showed interest in fine arts and went to study in Prague. He graduated from

Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, f ...

(1893–1897) and Academy of Fine Arts (1897–1900). During his studies, he gained valuable experience in the field of monumental painting, especially in the field of

es and sgraffiti. He was student of Kamil Hilbert, Stanislav Sucharda,

Felix Jenewein Felix Jenewein (4 August 1857, in Kutná Hora – 2 January 1905, in Brno) was a painter, illustrator and lithographer from Austria-Hungary. Many of his best known works have a somber tone. Biography His father was a clerk at a tobacco factory ...

, Otakar Hostinský,

František Ženíšek František Ženíšek (25 May 1849 – 15 November 1916) was a Czech painter. He was part of the "" (Generation of the National Theater), a large group of artists with nationalistic sympathies. Biography He was born in Prague into a family of m ...

and Maximilian Pirner. In 1899, he bought a house in

Nenkovice Nenkovice is a municipality and village in Hodonín District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants. Nenkovice lies approximately north-west of Hodonín, south-east of Brno, and south-east of Prague. D ...

where he set up a studio, and moved here in 1901. From 1926 until his death he lived in Strážovice. He died in a hospital in Brno in 1941 and was buried in Strážovice.

Work

Köhler was active mostly in Moravia, but he travelled to work all over the country. He created most of his works in Prostějov, where he received his first contract in 1900 to decorate Prostějov Castle. During his career he decorated 40 churches and 35 secular buildings. His work counts a total of 2,500 works, mostly with a religious focus. He created his own distinctive

ornament An ornament is something used for decoration. Ornament may also refer to: Decoration * Ornament (art), any purely decorative element in architecture and the decorative arts * Biological ornament, a characteristic of animals that appear to serve ...

, drawn from the sources of Moravian folk art. Köhler specialized in frescoes and sgraffiti, but he also worked with the ceramic mosaic technique. During his life he created or designed 40 mosaic works, including decoration of 11

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...

on the pilgrimage Hostýn hill. During the winter months, when work on the buildings was not possible, he devoted himself to designs for the warmer months, and occasionally dealt with watercolors, oil paintings, drawings, illustrations and graphics. His notable works include: ;In Olomouc Region * Prostějov: Prostějov Castle – frescoes and sgraffiti; Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross – frescoes * Olomouc: Archbishop's Palace – fresco and sgraffiti; Chapel of Saint Jan Sarkander – frescoes * Litovel: Gymnasium of Jan Opletal – design of ceramic mosaics with scenes from the history of the town * Příkazy: Chapel of Saints Cyril and Methodius – decoration of interiors ;In Zlín Region * Luhačovice: Jurkovič House – fresco of Saints Cyril and Methodius; ''Augustiniánský dům'' Hotel – frescoes * Uherské Hradiště: Moravian Slovakia Museum – mosaic allegory of the seasons *

Napajedla Napajedla (; german: Napajedl) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,100 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Etymology The town's name is derive ...

: town hall – ceramic mosaic; Church of Saint Bartholomew – decoration of interiors * Uherský Ostroh: bell tower – sgraffiti *

Bystřice pod Hostýnem Bystřice pod Hostýnem (; german: Bistritz am Hostein) is a town in Kroměříž District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,000 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Bílavsko, Hlinsko pod Hostýnem, Rychlov and S ...

: Church of Saint Giles – frescoes *

Chvalčov Chvalčov is a municipality and village in Kroměříž District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,600 inhabitants. Chvalčov lies approximately north-east of Kroměříž, north of Zlín, and east of Prague. History Th ...

: 11 Stations of the Cross on the Hostýn hill – ceramic mosaic ;In South Moravian Region * Kyjov: Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary – sgraffiti; Kyjov Castle – sgraffiti * Tišnov: Town hall – sgraffiti *

Blatnice pod Svatým Antonínkem Blatnice pod Svatým Antonínkem is a municipality and village in Hodonín District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,900 inhabitants. Geography Blatnice pod Svatým Antonínkem is located about northeast of Hodon ...

: Chapel of Saint Anthony of Padua – two murals *

Oslnovice Oslnovice is a municipality and village in Znojmo District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 70 inhabitants. Geography Oslnovice is located about west of Znojmo and southwest of Brno, and of the Czech-Austrian bor ...

: Chapel of the Sacred Heart – decoration of interiors ;In other Czech regions *

Štramberk Štramberk (; german: Stramberg) is a town in Nový Jičín District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,500 inhabitants. The historic centre of Štramberk is well preserved and is protected by law as an Cultural m ...

: Church of Saint John of Nepomuk – decoration of interiors * Semily: ''Obecní dům'' – ceramic mosaic

Awards

In 1928, Köhler was awarded '' Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice'' decoration by the pope for the lithography of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prostějov, which also appeared on postage stamps.

Legacy

Streets in Prostějov-

Vrahovice Vrahovice is a village and administrative part of Prostějov in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,300 inhabitants. Geography Vrahovice lies in the Upper Morava Valley. The watercourses Romže, Hloučela and Valová flow t ...

and in Kyjov were named after him. There is a permanent museum exhibition about his life and work in

. A documentary film about work of Jano Köhler was filmed in 2016.

Gallery

Jano Köhler - Cyril a Metoděj.jpg, Lithography of Saints Cyril and Methodius Uherské Hradiště, Slovácké muzeum, mozaika.jpg, Moravian Slovakia Museum in Uherské Hradiště Hostýn-Jurkovičova-křížová-cesta2013benfoto8.jpg, Station of the Cross on Hostýn Kohler kyjov.jpg, Sgraffito on Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Kyjov Semily - Obecní dům - mozaika.jpg, Mosaic on ''Obecní dům'' in Semily Sgrafita Kyjov Sv Cecha 04.jpg, A sgraffito on Kyjov Castle

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kohler, Jano 1873 births 1941 deaths Artists from Brno People from the Margraviate of Moravia Czech male painters 20th-century Czech painters 19th-century Czech people 20th-century Czech people Czech people of German descent 20th-century Czech male artists