Prague. Belvedere

Frantisek Kobliha

Basic information

ID: Г-IV-2096
Author: Frantisek Kobliha
Name: Prague. Belvedere
Country: Czech Republic
Technique: lithography
Material: paper
Dimensions (height x width, cm): 20.7 x 15.7

Additionally

Type: graphic art
Genre: cityscape
Provenance: Gifted by Czech artists, 1971

Information about author

Author: Frantisek Kobliha
Artist's lifetime: 1877–1962
Country: Czech Republic
Biography: Frantisek Kobliha (1877–1962) was a Czech graphic artist and art critic. In 1910–1912, he headed the SURSUM group, whose members were engaged in artistic, spiritual, and occult practices. The members of the group were considered the second generation of Symbolists. Frantisek Kobliha was also one of the most influential artists and art critics of the Czech publication "Moderni Revue". Kobliha was educated in Prague at the Umprum School of Applied Arts (1896–1899) and then at the Academy of Arts, where he studied painting under Frantisek Zenisek, a representative of the academic painting style. In his creative work, Kobliha abandoned colour for black-and-white tonal variations. He worked in the techniques of lithography, drypoint, and wood engraving. In addition, he worked as a book illustrator. During the 1920s, the artist published works by such authors as Julius Zeyer (1841–1901), Jiří Karasek (1871–1951), Jan Opolsky (1875–1942), Rudolf Medek (1890–1940), and others. Kobliha also worked on bibliographical editions of literary works published by Kamilla Neumannova (1874–1957), often using floral motifs and the story's central figure as a frontal painting. The artist's oeuvre is characterised by an atmosphere of introspection and the creation of imaginary compositions, although his creative heritage also includes realistic landscapes from Czech villages. The main series of works by Frantisek Kobliha: "Simple Motifs" (1908), "Tristan" (1909–1910), a series of landscapes of Prague (1914), a series of lithographs "Fantasies of Moonlight Nights" (1944–1946), etc.

Object description

The work depicts an architectural landscape. The engraving shows the Belvedere Palace in Prague, located within a park. In the foreground, amidst neatly arranged flowerbeds, a fountain is topped by a small sculpture. In the background, the Royal Belvedere Palace is depicted as a two-story building in Renaissance style. The lower floor features an open gallery with a colonnade that wraps around the right side of the palace. The second floor is adorned with a balustrade that also wraps around the right side of the palace. Four windows alternate with niches framed by pilasters. On the lere is a tall, branching tree whose crown partially obscures the left side of the building. Near the right edge of the engraving, there is a fragment of another tree with a wide crown.

Inscriptions

In the bottom left corner, there is an artist's mark: "F. K.". On the bottom right below the engraving: "F. Kobliha". At the bottom left: "Praha – Belvedér – vernis – лит".

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Prague. Belvedere

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