Mikuláš Galanda

Mikuláš Galanda was born to parents Margita and Štefan Galanda on May 4, 1895. They were hardworking people who were not rich nor starving either. Besides Mikuláš, they had three other children. Before 1911, when he developed suppurative tonsillitis with serious complications, Mikuláš lived a happy student's life. Today, it is hard to understand that the amputation of a leg was the only life-saving solution for him, anyhow the condition left him confined to bed for a long time. For the sensitive Mikuláš, who had a talent for visual arts already at that time, it meant the end of his carefree boyhood. After graduating from a high school, Mikuláš decided to study painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest; but due to the outbreak of the First World War, his studies lasted just 2 years.

Beginning in 1932, among Galanda's works we can find works that undoubtedly reflect his mind. These are the pictures “Morning (Pink Nude)”, “Standing Female Nude”, “Song”, “Mother (standing)”, “Mother (sitting)”—all of these are oils with a tinge of pink originating the same year presenting an expression of Mikuláš's personal human happiness, enchantment with women's beauty, love and motherhood. In the depository of the Turiec Gallery in Martin, only one of them can be found—”A Song”.

Image of woman takes a prominent place in Galanda's works. It is interesting comparing to the image of a woman in the history of visual arts, mainly considering Slovak art. Galanda was seizing the image through both the poetry and the prose of his life, with admiration, love, pride and human dignity. From the beauty of youth to motherhood and growing to maturity.

In the 1930s, despite significant time spent teaching, Mikuláš Galanda created his most important works in painting, graphics, drawing and book illustration. He moved from the classicizing orientation of the 1920s to the dynamically, dramatically rendered brushwork in all the areas of fine arts. Thematically, his works are focused mainly on the motifs of woman and motherhood, but he also touched several social problems of Slovak people, which he cared about. In Galanda's works we can find pictures of poor families, beggars, street singers, blind persons, bandits, clowns, emigrants...

Except the drawn self-portrait from 1930. Galanda painted two pictures that are not self-portraits in the proper sense of the word, but he inserted much of his lyrical spiritual essence in them, i.e. a sort of spiritual self-portrait. These are the pictures - “Painter” (1934) and “Poet Having a Rest” (1937-1938).

Although the teaching took much of his time, Galanda managed to fulfil his creative program of an artist. Mainly the last year of his life was really full of intensive creative activity. As if the artist anticipated that his creative peace was not to last for long. Mikuláš Galanda died in Bratislava on June 5, 1938, 43-year-old. His work presented and has been presenting many new, hot issues for the whole generations. The greatest importance of Galanda's artistic legacy lies in the fact that it brought up, opened and tried to solve many serious creative-development problems, which can be found in the works of almost every visual artist.