Czechoslovakian Realism #3

The troubled path of an art that reflected on the regime society in Czechoslovakia from 1940s to 1980s

Portrait of Božena Živná, miner from Kladno (1950) by Vincenc ŽivnýEleutheria Foundation

The celebration of the workaholics

The most enterprising workers were rewarded. This is the case of the portrait made by Vincenc Živný in honor of the miner Božena Živná, a worker in the great coalfield of Kladno.

Woman, Josef Brož, 1950, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
Man in the foundry, Josef Brož, 1950, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
Show lessRead more

The joyful representation of a peasant woman, linked to Soviet realism, is Woman by Josef Brož (1904-1980). By the same artist he is a smelter closed in his overalls and with a helmet on his head illuminated from the right by the fire of the casting. They are works inspired by the Stalinist principle "national in form and socialist in content". So, here are people happy to contribute to the construction of a new society where workers triumph.

Blacksmith with a machine hammer, Alois Bílek, 1950, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
Let there be light, Vlastimil Košvanec, 1950, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
Welder, Miroslav Kučera, 1950, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
Show lessRead more

Three miners (1960) by Martin SladkýEleutheria Foundation

Soldier, Jan Čumpelík, 1950, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
Army officer, Jan Čumpelík, 1960, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
Show lessRead more

The portraits of Socialist Realism have different styles. Jan Jan Čumpelík's (1895-1965) portrait of the soldier with a rifle in his hand presents a synthetic realism, like the painting by the same author, perhaps portraying an army officer, has a more academic tone.

Workers (1963) by Otakar ČemusEleutheria Foundation

In the works of Realism, styles that refer to other artistic traditions are often rediscovered. An example are the paintings of Otakar Čemus (1928), where there is a certain link with nineteenth-century French painting.

Roadmen (1967) by Otakar ČemusEleutheria Foundation

Women in the fields (1952) by Alena ČermákováEleutheria Foundation

Alena Čermáková (1926-2009) has an initial artistic phase of an academic type, as can be seen in the painting with two women sitting on the wheat field. Later, in the 60s, she completely changed her style.

Carpet sellers in Urgut (1967) by Alena ČermákováEleutheria Foundation

Čermáková changes the shades of colors, as if she discoveres the palettes of the École de Paris among the Fauves and the German Expressionists.

Weaving factory, Alena Čermáková, 1980, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
Flowers harvest, Alena Čermáková, 1970, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
Rest in the greenhouse, Alena Čermáková, 1977, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
Battle for Dukla's victory, Alena Čermáková, 1974, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
Czech peasants, Alena Čermáková, 1970, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
Samarkand Bazaar, Alena Čermáková, 1967, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
Show lessRead more

Sentinel at the border (1960) by Jaromir SchořEleutheria Foundation

Another important artist is Jaromír Schoř (1912-1992) who in the 1950s painted according to a model based on the Soviet painting of realism. If one wants to understand the novelty of his pictorial writing, one must see the important woodcuts related to German Expressionism. 

Lidice, Jaromir Schoř, 1970, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
The border guards, Jaromir Schoř, 1970, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
Astronaut, Jaromir Schoř, 1970, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
Partisans, Jaromir Schoř, 1970, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
,
Vietnam, Jaromir Schoř, 1970, From the collection of: Eleutheria Foundation
Show lessRead more

Working, since 1953, for the Artistic Studio of the Army, Schoř proposes always returning themes, always composed with great sensitivity, but with strong epic tension. In his paintings mainly soldiers and partisans or war scenarios are portrayed. His technique was the following: the artist first created sketches and, once these were finished, he moved on to paint them, always with the possibility changes in the composition. 

Famiglia Zmeškal (1986) by Vladimir SuchýEleutheria Foundation

This story to tell how art, even in dark times, testifies that beyond the socio-political borders there is a freedom that is called fantasy and which, today, is testimony to history, memory of what happened, hope that it will not happen again.

Credits: Story

Texts by Dr. Flavio R.G. Mela (Coordinator of Eleutheria Foundation)

Photos by Ivan Bárta, Alessandro Bianchi, Jan Brunclík

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
Explore more
Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites