Janko Alexy

Janko Alexy ( born January 25, 1894 in Liptovsky Mikulas, † September 22, 1970 in Bratislava ) was a famous Slovak painter and an important writer and publicist. With Martin Benka and Ľudovít Fulla he was the pioneering figures of modern Slovak painting.

Life

Alexy was the fifth child in a carpenter family. After high school he was an apprentice chimney sweep and an intern at the pharmacy. He fought for Austria - Hungary on the Italian front in the First World War. In the years 1919 - 1925 he studied at the Academy of Painting in Prague at Blaise Bukovac and Max Švabinský. In the years 1924 - 1929 he taught art and drawing on a secondary school in Bratislava. Alexy lived 1932 - 1937 in Piešťany, since 1937 again in Bratislava. He has contributed to the Bratislava Castle was preserved.

Painting

Alexy was not only a founder of modern Slovak painting, but has a very active part in the Slovak cultural life. His extensive body of work encompasses approximately 1,300 oil works, pastels and drawings inspired by the Slovak folk culture, Slovak folk myths and the beauty of the Slovak countryside. The theme Juraj Jánošík and his group was very important to him. To seventieth birthday he was honored with the title of National Artist.

Literary activity

His literary activity was very stable and at a high level.