Vojtěch Preissig
Vojtěch Preissig ( born July 31, 1873 in Schwaz, † June 11 1944 in the Dachau concentration camp) was a Czech graphic artist, painter and illustrator. At the beginning of his career, he is one of the most important representatives of Art Nouveau in the 1930s, the pioneers of Czech abstract art. Active opposition to the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, he was sent to the Dachau concentration camp, where he died.
Life
Preissig studied in the period from 1892 to 1897 with Friedrich Ohmann decorative architecture at the Prague Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design. After graduation, he left Prague and went to short periods of study in Vienna and Munich to Paris. Here he worked with Alfons Mucha painting techniques and studied simultaneously in private studio. In 1903 he returned to Prague, where he accepted a position in a letter foundry. In 1905 he set up a studio of his own in which he painted his early works in the elegant linear Nouveau. He also illustrated books, created posters and commercial graphics. He founded the magazine " Česká grafika " (Czech graphic ) and was a member of the Association of Artists Manes, and the Association of Czech Graphic Artists Hollar. From this time the Art Nouveau illustrations are to the output Slezské písně by Petr Bezruč, published 1909. Between 1901 and 1907, were his three daughters Vojtěška, Irena and Yvona born.
After his studio had been seized by bailiffs due to financial difficulties, left Preissig with his family in 1910 in Prague and emigrated to the United States. From 1912 to 1916 he taught at the Art Students ' League, in 1914 then in addition, at the Teachers' College, Columbia University, both in New York. From 1916 to 1926 he was director of the School of Printing and Graphic Arts at the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston.
Privately, he dealt with the typography. From the 1920s comes the so-called " Preissig Antiqua", a 1925 realized in the Prague State Printing font that is referred to as the first modern font for the Czech language. Preissig experimented with various techniques, these included - except oil painting - including linocuts, etching, woodcuts, mezzotint, collage. Very well known were his bookplate works. Preissig is also counted among the first Czech abstract artists.
Preissig, among other things, the future first president of Czechoslovakia Tomáš Masaryk met in person in the United States, committed during the First World War very much for the independence movement in Bohemia. He painted for the Czechoslovak National Committee countless posters that were dedicated to the recruitment of volunteers for the Czechoslovak legions in Europe and the struggle for independence. Preissig had himself volunteered, but was rejected for health reasons. Long runs scored his very popular military postcards from this period. Among other things, he also made some designs for a Czechoslovak flag, which is very similar to the flag of the United States (or some state ) oriented (stars, stripes, stripe crosses in white, red and blue).
In the summer of 1921, he sent his daughters to Prague with the statement that it honors soon; However, this happened after a stay in Prague 1930 final in August 1931. [note 1] With its exhibitions in 1931, 1933 and 1934, he established himself as a leading abstract artists in the country.
After the destruction of Czechoslovakia by the German Reich he joined with his family to the Czechoslovak resistance to. He was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of illegal magazine V boj, which appeared from 1939 to 1941 and was the most important magazine of the resistance in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. He illustrated the journal with anti-Nazi and patriotic drawings, temporarily headed the editorial work and organized material and distribution. Preissig was already in the founding of the first editorial in March 1939 to the inner circle of employees, according to its break up in November 1939 he continued the publication of new volunteers, especially with his daughter Irena Bernášková to continue. On September 21, 1940 was also this group, about 40 people, dug and arrested by the Gestapo. While Preissigs daughter Irena Bernášková executed in 1942 and his wife, Irena Preissigová, was released in September 1943 from prison, remained trapped Preissig until he was sentenced after detention stays in Gollnow, Hamburg and Dresden to nearly three years in prison. He spent the time in custody Beyreuth and Prague and was finally transferred in January 1944 to Dachau concentration camp, where he died on June 11, 1944 of typhoid fever.
Swell
- Blanka Jedličková, Ženy okolo ilegálního časopisu "V boj " 1939-1942 [Women from the environment of illegal magazine V boj 1939-1942 ], online at: dspace.upce.cz / ... (PDF, 5.3 MB ) pp. 25ff. and 44ff.
- Preissig Vojtěch, short biography on www.stormtype.com/ ...
- Vojtech Preissig, The House, a short biography to: www.artoftheprint.com/ ...
- Neznami hrdinové [ Unknown Heroes], a program of the TV channel ČT24 of December 25, 2012 online at: www.ceskatelevize.cz/ ... ( 18:30 clock, 26 min).