Zdislava Rosalina Augusta Braunerová, called Zdenka (9 April 1858 – 23 May 1934) was a Czech landscape painter, illustrator and graphic artist, whose work was influenced by her connection to

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 ...

. She was the first female 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 a patron of numerous other Czech artists.

Biography

Braunerová was born on 9 April 1858 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 ...

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

. She was born into a wealthy family. Her father was , a member of the Imperial Council.Brief biography
@ Roztoky.com She developed her interest in art from her mother, Augusta, who was an amateur painter. Prominent writers and artists were regular guests at her home. As her talents became apparent, she began taking lessons from Amalie Mánesová. Later, she studied with Soběslav Pinkas.Chronology of her life
@ Výtvarné Umĕlkynĕ. All of this was in addition to her regular education, and her parents were taken by surprise when she informed them that she had decided to pursue painting as a profession, but they could not dissuade her. In part, this decision may have been prompted by her meeting with Antonín Chittussi, a young painter with whom she would develop a long friendship, verging on a romance. The relationship cooled, however, toward the end of Chittussi's life, as did one with Julius Zeyer, who was seventeen years her senior. Later, a planned marriage to Vilém Mrštík was called off at the last minute.Brief biography
@ Žena-In

After 1880

A major inspiration for her art was Paris, where she spent part of each year from 1881 to 1893, and the painters of the Barbizon school. Her future brother-in-law, Élémir Bourges, served as her guide and introduced her to many literary figures such as

Maurice Maeterlinck Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count/Comte Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the 1911 Nobel Prize in ...

and

Anatole France (; born ; 16 April 1844 – 12 October 1924) was a French poet, journalist, and novelist with several best-sellers. Ironic and skeptical, he was considered in his day the ideal French man of letters. While there, she also attended the

Académie Colarossi The Académie Colarossi (1870–1930) was an art school in Paris founded in 1870 by the Italian model and sculptor Filippo Colarossi. It was originally located on the Île de la Cité, and it moved in 1879 to 10 rue de la Grande-Chaumière in the ...

and exhibited frequently; in Paris at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

and in Prague at the

Rudolfinum The Rudolfinum is a building in Prague, Czech Republic. It is designed in the neo-Renaissance style and is situated on Jan Palach Square on the bank of the river Vltava. Since its opening in 1885, it has been associated with music and art. C ...

. However, through all of these years, she never abandoned her connections to her homeland, often taking part in performances where she would dance in Czech costumes and sing folk songs. She had, in fact considered becoming a singer before turning to art. In 1896, she became the first female member of the

, but was apparently expelled in 1906. Later, she opened a studio in

Roztoky Roztoky (; ) is a town in Prague-West District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 9,100 inhabitants. Etymology The name is derived from , i.e. 'divided stream'. It is a common Czech geographical name for places fo ...

and, in 1902, she extended an invitation to

Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (; ; 12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a u ...

to visit

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

and

Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...

. In 1909, she developed a close friendship with

Paul Claudel Paul Claudel (; 6 August 1868 – 23 February 1955) was a French poet, dramatist and diplomat, and the younger brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel. He was most famous for his verse dramas, which often convey his devout Catholicism. Early lif ...

, who was serving as the French

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...

in Prague. She also had one last affair, probably platonic, with the writer . He was twenty-five years younger and her family was scandalized, but he died in 1917 from wounds suffered in World War I. Roztoky would be her home for the rest of her life, and she would draw inspiration from the rural people and landscapes, while keeping a detailed diary and series of sketchbooks. She continued to exhibit until 1932 and died while staying at her family's home in Prague. In addition to her painting, she was also a printmaker, book designer and glass engraver. For many years, she was involved in efforts to help prevent the destruction of the Staré Město (the Medieval section of Prague) and

Josefov Josefov (also Jewish Quarter; ) is a town quarter and the smallest cadastral area of Prague, Czech Republic, formerly the Jewish ghetto of the town. It is surrounded by the Old Town. The quarter is often represented by the flag of Prague's Jew ...

(the old Jewish ghetto). As part of this effort, she created a series of prints depicting the area. Many younger artists, such as

František Bílek František Bílek (6 November 1872, Chýnov – 13 October 1941, Chýnov) was a Czech people, Czech sculptor and architect, in the Art Nouveau and Symbolism (movement), Symbolist styles. Biography His father was a wheelwright. He graduated from ...

Jan Zrzavý Jan Zrzavý (5 November 1890 – 12 October 1977) was a Czech painter, graphic artist and illustrator. Biography Zrzavý was born on 5 November 1890 in Vadín in Bohemia (today a part of Okrouhlice in the Czech Republic). He studied privately in P ...

and

Joža Uprka Joža Uprka (26 October 1861, Kněždub – 12 January 1940, Hroznová Lhota) was a Czech painter and graphic artist whose work combines elements of Impressionism and Art Nouveau to document the folklife of Southern Moravia. Biography Uprka wa ...

, received financial support from her. She died on 23 May 1934 in Prague, at the age of 76. She 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 ...

Selected paintings

Braunerova Zdenka - A Bend of a River (Trikralka) 023.jpg, A Bend in the

Vltava The Vltava ( , ; ) is the longest river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It runs southeast along the Bohemian Forest and then north across Bohemia, through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Prague. It is com ...

Zdenka Braunerová - Tržiště s lidmi (1905).jpg, Town Market Square with Figures Zdenka Braunerová - Krajina s Potokom (1905).jpg, Landscape with Stream

References

External links

More paintings and drawings by Braunerová
an
Photographs
@ Výtvarné Umĕlkynĕ

by Brigitte Brauner @ Régie Théâtrale

(150th anniversary of her birth) by Marcela Šášinková @ Knihovna
"Galerie ženských osobností - Zdenka Braunerová"
a program from

Czech Radio Czech Radio (, ČRo) is the public radio broadcaster of the Czech Republic operating continuously since 1923. It is the oldest national radio broadcaster in continental Europe and the second-oldest in Europe after the BBC. Czech Radio was esta ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Braunerova, Zdenka 1858 births 1934 deaths Artists from Prague Czech graphic designers Czech landscape painters 19th-century Czech painters 19th-century Czech women artists 20th-century Czech painters 19th-century women painters Académie Colarossi alumni Czech women graphic designers Painters from Austria-Hungary Czech illustrators Czech women illustrators 20th-century Czech women painters Illustrators from Bohemia

Biography

After 1880

Selected paintings

References

Further reading

External links