František Drtikol

ISBN: 978-80-7215-301-5|Published: 2007|Pages: 184|SOLD
Binding: Softbound|Format: 160 x 180 mm|Graphic design: Pavel Lev, Studio Najbrt

Though famous for his innovations in photographing nudes in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles, František Drtikol (1883–1961), also a painter and designer, left a legacy mostly of portraits made from the 1910s to the 1930s. The current publication is the first ever devoted to Drtikol’s portraits. The selection, made from the almost 2,000 portrait photographs in the National Archive, Prague, presents a gallery of eminent Czechs and Slovaks during the first Czechoslovak Republic, as well as prominent visitors to the country, from many walks of life. Apart from their purely documentary character, the portraits reflect Drtikol’s efforts to capture his sitters’ inner selves, bridging idealism and materialism. The volume has been compiled and written by Josef Moucha, whose publications include books of the photographs of Eva Fuka, Jan Lukas, Jaroslav Rössler, and Alphonse Mucha.