Jan Štursa
Encyclopedia
Jan Štursa was a Czech sculptor, one of founders of modern Czech sculpture.
. He studied masonry and sculpture in Hořice
and worked as stone cutter. Later, he studied at the Academy of Arts (AVU) in Prague under professor Josef Myslbek, a known sculptor. As a result of very rigorous criticism from Myslbek, Štursa destroyed most of his early works.
as the older sculptors but tried to find his own way. The female body was his frequent motif, for example in "Before taking bath", 1906 or "The Melancholy Girl", 1906 . A monumental couple of figures decorates the pylons of Hlávka Bridge in Prague. In addition to stone and bronze
he also used plaster
and wax
. Later, he was influenced by cubism
. Portrait painting was an important part of his works.
The tragedy of World War I
(he had served at the front) affected Štursa's work. The most famous work of this period is "The Wounded": early version, final version (1921), more details.
The inspiration for the "Burial in the Carpathians" sculpture was a photograph from a Carpathian
battlefield. The original group in Austrian
uniforms was remade in 1920s into a memorial of victims of WWI and placed in the village Předměřice nad Jizerou
, with copies in Místek
and in Nové Město na Moravě
.
During 1922-24 Štursa served as Rector
of the Academy of Arts (AVU). Štursa suffered from the effects of syphilis
and in 1925, faced with increasing pain, he killed himself in his atelier two weeks before his 45th birthday.
Štursa's nephew Jiri Štursa was the architect of Stalin's Monument (Prague)
.
Birth and studies
Štursa was born in mountainous area of Vysočina RegionVysocina Region
Vysočina Region , is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located partly in the south-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia and partly in the south-west of the historical region of Moravia...
. He studied masonry and sculpture in Hořice
Horice (Jicín District)
Hořice is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 9,000 inhabitants.Villages Březovice, Doubrava, Chlum, Chvalina, Libonice and Svatogothardská Lhota are administrative parts of Hořice.- People :...
and worked as stone cutter. Later, he studied at the Academy of Arts (AVU) in Prague under professor Josef Myslbek, a known sculptor. As a result of very rigorous criticism from Myslbek, Štursa destroyed most of his early works.
Themes and materials
Štursa was not influenced by Czech National RevivalCzech National Revival
Czech National Revival was a cultural movement, which took part in the Czech lands during the 18th and 19th century. The purpose of this movement was to revive Czech language, culture and national identity...
as the older sculptors but tried to find his own way. The female body was his frequent motif, for example in "Before taking bath", 1906 or "The Melancholy Girl", 1906 . A monumental couple of figures decorates the pylons of Hlávka Bridge in Prague. In addition to stone and bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
he also used plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
and wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
. Later, he was influenced by cubism
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
. Portrait painting was an important part of his works.
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
(he had served at the front) affected Štursa's work. The most famous work of this period is "The Wounded": early version, final version (1921), more details.
The inspiration for the "Burial in the Carpathians" sculpture was a photograph from a Carpathian
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
battlefield. The original group in Austrian
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
uniforms was remade in 1920s into a memorial of victims of WWI and placed in the village Předměřice nad Jizerou
Predmerice nad Jizerou
Předměřice nad Jizerou is a village in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 700 inhabitants.The best pub in the village is "u šotka", lokatet near the postoffice.Village Kačov is administrative part of Předměřice nad Jizerou....
, with copies in Místek
Frýdek-Místek
Frýdek-Místek is a city in Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It is the administrative center of Frýdek-Místek District. It comprises two formerly independent towns, Frýdek and Místek, divided by the Ostravice River...
and in Nové Město na Moravě
Nové Mesto na Morave
Nové Město na Moravě is a town in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has 10,464 inhabitants.-Business in town:Despite its location surrounded by great outdoors, the town has a long tradition of manufacturing...
.
During 1922-24 Štursa served as Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the Academy of Arts (AVU). Štursa suffered from the effects of syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
and in 1925, faced with increasing pain, he killed himself in his atelier two weeks before his 45th birthday.
Štursa's nephew Jiri Štursa was the architect of Stalin's Monument (Prague)
Stalin's Monument (Prague)
Stalin's Monument was a massive granite statue honoring Joseph Stalin that was unveiled in 1955 after more than 5½ years of work in Prague, Czech Republic. It was the world's largest representation of Stalin, and was destroyed in 1962....
.
Works
- Art nouveauArt NouveauArt Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
funerary monument for artist Max Horb in the New Jewish CemeteryNew Jewish CemeteryThe New Jewish Cemetery in Prague was established in 1891 to relieve the space problem at the Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague. It is about 10 times bigger than the Old Jewish Cemetery and provides space for approximately 100 000 graves, therefore having the capacity to serve for a whole century...
.