4:30 p.m.– 6 p.m

Lecture by Gabriela Pelikánová from the cycle “Ostrava Through Artists’ Eyes”. Only in Czech.

Josef Čapek (1887–1945) is rightly regarded as one of the most original Czech artists of the 20th century. His main strength was his experimental yet timeless approach to his art. He was a member of the avant-garde and a proponent of Czech Cubism. His innovative aesthetic was reflected in his membership of the Group of Fine Artists and his editorship of the journal Artistic Monthly. In 1918 he became a member of The Obstinates.
Besides pursuing his own career as a painter and illustrator, he often collaborated with his younger brother, the writer Karel Čapek (1890–1938). Together they wrote theatrical plays (Adam the Creator , From the Life of Insects). Josef Čapek also wrote his own literary text – the popular fairytale book Tales of a Doggy and a Kitty, first published in 1929 and dedicated to his daughter Alena.
'He spent the Second World War in concentration camps, and he did not live to see the war’s end. Despite his tragic fate, even in those years of crisis he continued to devote himself to art, albeit to a limited extent. He drew, wrote poems, and translated.
There was nothing untrue in Josef Čapek’s work. He did not paint what he did not know. His works incorporate social criticism, a playful childlike world, and a condemnation of the horrors of war. Čapek’s life and work remains a great inspiration for many people even today.

Booking advance necessary

free entrance

Photo: Josef Čapek, Boy with a Hoop, 1914, oil, canvas, 68×48.5 cm, GVUO