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František Studený
The first monograph of František Studený has been published by Nitra Gallery in cooperation with the publishing company SLOVART. The publication offers the most comprehensive view of the artist’s life and work yet while also re-evaluating the institutional history and position of Nitra Gallery toward the artist.
František Studený was born July 2, 1911 in Nová Ves nad Žitavou. He attended elementary school in his birthplace, Nová Ves nad Žitavou. Between 1928-1932, he attended a secondary grammar school in Zlaté Moravce where he met professor Štefan Majo who introduced him to painting. Between 1932-1938, he studied drawing at the Czech Technical University (prof. Bouda, Blažíček). Between 1933-1940, he studied geography at the Faculty of Science at Charles University in Prague. While studying in Prague, he became familiar with the works of Bohumil Kubišta, Emil Filla, the Čapek brothers, went on study trips to Poland, Budapest and Vienna. In 1940, he left for Slovakia and remained in Tisovec in Central Slovakia until 1945 and worked there as a secondary grammar school professor. He produces many paintings and drawings during his time in Tisovec. He paints the Central Slovakia landscape and still lifes. But he also draws, in ink, pencil or sepia and always turns to themes that were as relevant to those times as hunger, poverty, suffering and later also war and its devastating results. In 1946, he permanently moves his family to Bratislava. Between 1946-1950, he works as a professor at the first state secondary grammar school in Bratislava and at the Peter Jilemnický Secondary School in Bratislava.
Before 1969, he goes on several study trips to the Netherlands, Albania, USSR, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria Studený focuses on painting landscapes from the Nová Ves nad Žitavou region where he regularly returns from the urban Bratislava, he is also fascinated with coastal landscapes which became another one of his favourite themes. He remains captivated with still life, he paints flowers, fruits, everyday objects, bread, potatoes, but also fish – smoked mackerels. With regard to his figural works in this period, he paints mostly portraits of his family, with focus on the children.
In 1982 (until 1990), the Regional Gallery in Nitra was renamed the František Studený Gallery in Nitra, in the same year (until 1988), the artist’s permanent exposition was created in the Regional Gallery in Nitra. He died on December 22, 1980 in Bratislava.
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Photo: Ema G. Lančaričová
Editors: Ľudmila Kasaj Poláčková, Renáta Niczová
Texts: Ľudmila Kasaj Poláčková, Renáta Niczová, Alexandra Kusá, Ján Abelovský, Katarína Kišová
Resumé Translation: Paul and Elena McCullough
Cover, Layout and Graphic Design: Ervín Gejdoš
Photographs: the Studený family archives, Ema G. Lančaričová
Reproductions of works from Katarína Kišová’s family archive and Nitra Gallery
Other Reproductions: Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava City Gallery, the Orava Gallery
Print: TBB, a.s., Banská Bystrica
Edition: 500 pcs
Pages: 199
Publisher: Nitra Gallery and SLOVART
Year: 2022
First Edition
ISBN 978- 80-566-5992-2