Jaroslav Čermák (painter)

Jaroslav Cermak ( born August 1, 1830 in Prague, † April 23, 1878 in Paris) was a Czech painter.

Life

Cermak studied from 1847 at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts under Christian Ruben, continued his studies in 1849 in Munich and after a journey via Dresden, Berlin and Dusseldorf in Antwerp with G. Wappers continued. In 1850 he entered the gallery Gallaitain in Brussels and lived until 1857 in Belgium. He then stayed in France, on the Riviera and in the Pyrenees. Travels took him to Dalmatia and Bohemia from 1865 to 1867 he visited Italy, before he settled down in Roscoff in Brittany in 1869. In 1873 they offered Cermak the post of Director of the Prague Academy. For personal reasons he did not take the place.

Importance

Although he spent most of his life abroad, he never lost touch with his homeland. He designed his pictures national and historical themes from Czech history, especially from the time of the Hussites. He also presented the struggles of the South Slavs in Montenegro against the Turks dar. Besides historical and genre pictures Cermak also painted still lifes and portraits.

Stylistically, his paintings bear witness of an academic view and are supported by a romantic pathos.

Works

• Montenegrin ( collection Kooperativa, Wiener Städtische Versicherung ), around 1865, oil on wood, 35 x 25.5 cm