František Horčička

Franz Horčička (also Frantisek Horczicka, Horcziczka or Horziczka, born June 29, 1776 in Prague, † April 5, 1856 ) was a Bohemian portrait and historical painter.

Life

The son of a gardener's art he was taught early in replicating flowers and fruits, with his extraordinary powers of observation noticed. From 1786 Horčička was a student of the Imperial model school for character art in Prague, where his teacher was Ludwig Kohl ( 1746-1821 ). From 1800 he studied at the Prague Academy of Arts, where he was awarded two prizes. His teacher there was Joseph Bergler, the director of the Academy in the same year.

Horčička resulted from different painting technique experiments. In this way, he sought the means to locate again, by which the old masters, and especially the Dutch, their colors had given bond. In particular, he dealt with one of a " painter of Dutch origin " acquired tempering balm called copaive to replace what he considered " unreliable oil painting." He studied with an almost scientific zeal originating from the 14th century wall paintings in the castle Karlstejn, which were then just renewed. The results of his many years of painting technique studies he put in Scripture " Byzantine encaustic " down, without posting however. Only the painter Josef Navratil and author J. Schottky could occasionally benefit from these studies.

Prince Hieronymus von Colloredo -Mansfeld called Horčička 1808 restorer of paintings at his art collection Prague, 1820, he moved up there on the gallery director and head of the copy room. From 1811, the artist -fed self launched by him art exhibitions in Prague, but was artistic, especially regarding the history painting was concerned, not very productive, so that today only a few works have been preserved by his hand. These in turn are located in several smaller and larger churches in and around Prague. In the Vienna Museum of Military History A history image is obtained which Horčička had painted around 1826 in memory of the founding of the Czech Legion volunteer students at the Prague Clementinum in 1800.

Higher powers took Horčička in the field of portrait painting, he was among his contemporaries as "Master of the physiognomic characteristics " and to have been only surpassed by Jacob Ginzel later.

As Horčička 1856 died in Prague, were found in his estate next to a cycle of sketches on the history of Bohemia two other manuscripts with the titles " The general basis of the language of color " and "art words of the Czech language in the image arts (painting, sculpture, and Perspective) from the mouths of the people, and from ancient manuscripts collected ". These writings remained unpublished.

Works (excerpt)

• Call to Arms. Archduke Charles with representatives of the Bohemian- Moravian student body Battalion in Prague Clementinum, oil on canvas, 1826, 77 × 109 cm, Museum of Military History, Vienna.