Josef Váchal
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Josef Váchal(23 September 1884 inMilavčenearDomažlice– 10 May 1969 inStudeňany) was aCzechwriter, painter, printmaker and book-printer.
Váchal was the son ofJosef Aleš-Lyžecand Anna Váchalová - his parents never married. He was brought up by his grandparents, Jan Aleš and Jana Alešová, in the southern Bohemian town ofPísek,where he entered grammar school but left it prematurely. In 1898 Váchal moved toPrague,where he studied bookbinding and befriended his father's cousin, the painterMikoláš Aleš.He was influenced byArt Nouveauduring that time.
In 1900 he wrote his first poems, by 1903 he joined thePrague Theosophy Society,in 1904 he entered the Painter School and later became a respected painter and graphic designer. In 1910 Váchal published his first two books. Between January 1912 and January 1913 he enjoyed a short but intense friendship with the mystical Catholic writerJakub Deml.In March 1913, Váchal married Máša Pešulová, and began a friendship with the collector J. Portman; Portman's housePortmoneumis now the Váchal Museum inLitomyšl.
From 1916 to 1918 Váchal served as a soldier on the Italian front. During 1940, expressing resistance againstNazioccupation ofCzechoslovakia,he moved fromPragueto the village of Studeňany, a part ofRadimin eastern Bohemia ('tusculum' or 'exile'). After the communist revolution of 1948 inCzechoslovakia,he became more socially and culturally isolated and his works were rarely seen in public. He lived in obscurity on the family estate of his partner, Anna Macková, in Studeňany. Even with the coming ofPrague Springin the late 1960s his situation didn't significantly change. He was, however, awarded the state title of Meritorious Artist shortly before his death in 1969. He is buried in Radim.
The publishing house Paseka was inspired by the characterpublisher Pasekain Váchal'sBloody Novel.Portmoneum, Váchal's museum inLitomyšl,was founded by Paseka publishing house in the early 1990s.
Work (only main texts)
[edit]- Krvavý román [lit. "Bloody Novel" ] published 1924
- Mor v Korcule [Plague in Korcula] (published 1927)
- Malíř na frontě. Soca a Italie 1917-18 [Painter in War. Soca and Italy 1917-18] (published 1929)
- Šumava umírající a romantická [Gabreta dying and romantical] (published 1931, 11 copies)
- Receptář barevného dřevorytu [Book of colored woodcut] (published 1934) - theoretical work on woodcut techniques
- Nejnovejší legatio mortuorum [Newest legatio mortuorum] (published 1936)
- Kázání ad calendas graecas [Sermon ad calendas graecas] (published 1939, 17 copies)
- Ďáblova odstředivka [Devil's Spin Drier] (published 1941, 10 copies)
- Čertova babička [Imp's Grandma] (written 1940-1948)
- Moudrost Svobodného zednářství [Wisdom of Free-Masonry] (written 1951)
- Robinson mohelnský [Robinson of Mohelno] (written 1955)
- Živant a umrlanti [Living Man (=Váchal) and Zombies (=communists) of this world] (written 1956)
- Čarodejnice z Holešovic neboli Vězeň v bolševickém hradě [Witch of Holesovice or Prisoner in Bolsheviks's Castle] (written 1959)
- Paměti [Memoirs] published 1994
- Deníky 1922-1964 [Diaries] published 1998
References
[edit]- J. Kroutvor: Josef Váchal. Prague: Argestea 1994.
- J. Olič: Nejlépe tlačiti...Prague: Paseka 1993.
- Josef Váchal 1884-1969. Mezi Bohem a Ďáblem.Smetanova výtvarná Litomyšl 2008.ISBN978-80-7185-913-0
External links
[edit]- Czech site about Vachal
- Paseka, Vachal's main publisher after 1989
- Portmoneum, Váchal's museum in Litomyšl
- Jiří Rulf's text about Portmoneum
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