Frantisek Kupka

Kupka, František

 

Born Sept. 23, 1871, in Opočno, in Bohemia; died June 21, 1957, in Puteaux, France. Czech painter.

Kupka studied at the Academy of Arts in Prague from 1888 to 1891 and in Vienna from 1891 to 1895. Beginning in 1895 he lived in Paris, where he executed illustrations and satirical drawings. His work as a painter evolved from plein air realism to symbolism, fauvism, and cubism. He turned to abstract art in 1911 or 1912. Kupka was one of the representatives of orphism—painting composed of free “musical” combinations of pure intensive colors (Fugue in Red and Blue, 1911–12, the National Gallery, Prague; Vertical Planes, 1913, L. Carré Gallery, Paris).

REFERENCE

Vachtová, L. František Kupka. Prague, 1968.