The work was created during 1939, when poverty and suffering of Slovak nation – as a result of the Great Depression at the beginning of the 1930s – were fading. Expressive artist’s style and dark colour palette accentuated by the greyish – green morbid face, submissive ego and humbleness. This strong social motif shows an insight into the emotional consciousness and revolt against the socially unjust conditions of a man condemned to the urban and rural periphery. The reality of František Studený’s composition is already acknowledged in our contemporary society everyday life – Déja vu…
František Studený entered the Slovak art scene in 1938 after graduating from the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the Technical University in Prague. At that time he left the occupied Prague and returned to Slovakia. The WWII began to spread and the existential problems were multiplied by the fear of its further progress. Studený worked as a teacher at the secondary grammar school in Tisovec in 1940-46. Far from Prague and Bratislava he devoted himself to work which originated from isolation, without external influence and came from author’s emotional background. Besides the landscapes he painted figural motifs and produced small scale drawings with social touch, too. The dramatic war time atmosphere escalated in the compositions of his works which drew attention to poor material conditions of the working class.
Nitra Gallery obtained the work into its Art Acquisition Fund from the author’s family in 1982. In 1982 – 90 a permanent exhibition was established and Nitra Gallery was named after František Studený.
František Studený was born on July 2, 1911 in Nová Ves nad Žitavou, Slovakia. He originally wanted to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, but he missed the admission exam and enrolled in the Czech Technical Univerzity. He studied at Prof. O. Blažíček and C. Bouda studios and at the same time at The Faculty of Natural Sciences of Charles University. He was offered a secondary grammar school teacher position during 1940-46 in Tisovec and in 1946-50 taught drawing in Bratislava as well. In Bratislava he joined the exhibition activities of Association of Slovak Visual Artists (member during 1941-45), Union of Slovak Visual Artists (member from 1950) and the group Life (1963-71).
The author’s lifetime work was rather monothematic and was dominated by flowers, fruit and especially fish and kipper still-lives which he arranged in countless compositions until he reached his individual style. He loved to paint landscapes not only from his native region, but also from Tisovec and Bratislava. Sea motifs that became popular with him later in his life are full of his excellent expressive virtuosity.
National artist František Studený died on December 22, 1980 in Bratislava.
Awards:
1961 award for development
1971 Merited Artist
1979 National Artist
During his life František Studený carried out several individual and group exhibitions in Slovakia and abroad. His works can be found in the Art Acquisition Funds of Slovak galleries and museums, as well as in private collections.
— Marta Hučková
Sources
Kolektív autorov: Súčasné české a slovenské umenie. In: František Studený. TATRAN, Bratislava,1983, ODEON, Praha, 1983, str. 422 – 423
Inventory No.: O 1379
Artist: František Studený
Title: In Front of the Door
Date of origin: 1939
Technical details: oil
Material: hardboard
Dimensions: 85 × 41,5 cm
Signature: in the bottom left corner, St, brush