Ignat Bednarik
Encyclopedia
Ignat Bednarik was a Romania
n painter who worked in almost every genre of painting before devoting himself purely to watercolor. He was also interested in decorative art
, design
, interior decoration and book illustration
. In his lifetime, he produced more than 3,000 works of art.
, at the time part of Austria-Hungary
, to Czech
parents; he was son of the second marriage of Adalbert Bednarik (originally from Moravia
) and Genoveva Hauschka, followed by two sisters, Genoveva and Maria.
While a pupil at the Traian High School in Drobeta Turnu Severin, he won first prize for his works in drawing at the Tinerimea Română society.
From 1898 to 1900, Bednarik studied at the Bucharest
School of Fine Arts under the sculptor and water-colourist, Ion Georgescu. In 1901, he went to Vienna
where he occasionally attended classes at the Academy of Fine Arts
; Bednarik preferred instead to study masterpieces in the collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum
and the Albertina
.
In 1909, he married Elena Alexandrina Barabaş, also a graduate of the Bucharest School of Fine Arts. Together they left for Munich
to study at the Royal School of Applied Art
, at a time when the city was a dynamic international cultural centre, brimming with new ideas, in particular the influence of the Jugendstil aesthetic.
, at the Salon d'Automne
held in the Grand Palais
. They returned to Bucharest in the same year. Ignat Bednarik exhibited for the first time in Romania in 1913 with Associaţia Artistică; he subsequently took part in official salons and opened his first individual exhibition in Bucharest in 1915.
His works of this period brought the influence of European symbolism
to Romania at the same time as Alexandru Macedonski
was exploring similar ideas in poetry. The longing for evasion, a favourite concern of symbolists, shows itself in a variety of ways in his work. A symbolic interpretation of reality, seen through the world of myths, is found in works like Saved, while the interdependence of heaven and earth is explored in When the Gods Came Down to Earth and a demythologising of fiction is attempted in End of the Legend (all 1915). The need for escape, the longing for the absolute and the desire to recreate reality in an ideal dimension can also be seen in Towards glory (1915), The Spirit Triumphs (1916), Excelsior, The Paths of Life (1922) and Æternum Vale!.
The escape into the world of legends and ancient ballads (for example, Meşterul Manole
) demonstrates Bednarik's debt to Romanian folk-tales, seen particularly well in his series of illustrations for Petre Ispirescu
's Tales of the Romanians (1925–1926).
Notes of nostalgia and reverie also permeate his portrait-compositions Ioana (1920), The Letter (1921) and Portrait of Mrs. M. Tomescu (1923), while his treatment of philosophical subjects, such as Towards the Styx
(1916), The Enigma of Life (1919), Chimera
, or To Be or Not To Be
(1922), is imbued with an air of symbolic mystery.
Another kind of symbolic escape is found in the realm of fine sensations, of correspondences. The theme of music often appears in Bednarik's work, for example Young Girl Playing the Violin (1915), At the Piano (1922) and Playing the Violin (1922). Bednarik often associates music with flowers which decorate the interior where the former is being produced; at times they are so faintly sketched on the canvas as to be almost invisible (another symbolist trait). Flowers are often present in portraits of children (Mother's Birthday) and almost always in paintings of female figures (a favourite association of Art Nouveau
artists), for example in Portrait of the Artist's Wife (1919), Portrait of a Young Girl (1925), or Portrait of Miss J.P. (1924). They are also seen in his interiors with nudes painted in 1921. The flower symbolism is enhanced by the choice of the blossom which accompanies the female figure. Mastering the delicate transparency of watercolour, Bednarik surrounds his sitters sometimes with lilies, but more often with roses or peonies. In his next period, from 1919 to 1928, the still life with flowers became one of his favourite subjects.
The novelty of his work lies in its symbolist conception as well as the atmosphere of deep philosophical contemplation, transposed through watercolour, which imbues his painting with such distinctive individuality.
brought an abrupt halt to his heady and coloured symbolist compositions. As a member of the War Team of Artists and Sculptors set up in Iaşi
by Queen Marie
, during the time when Bucharest was occupied by German forces
, Bednarik employed all his graphic skill in vigorous depictions of conflict and hardships.
Between 1915 and 1927, Bednarik held eight individual watercolour exhibitions in Bucharest and, in 1928, one in New York City
. He also executed a series of works which were designed as an overlook of typical scenes from Romanian daily life. Towards 1947, partially recovering his sight after a period of almost total blindness, he painted a number of canvases depicting characters from old Bucharest, or scenes from Romanian history (The Execution of Gheorghe Doja, 1954). In 1956, a retrospective of the work of Ignat Bednarik was organised in Bucharest by the Union of Artists.
In 1961 he went completely blind. He died two years later.
, Military Museum, and National Museum of Romanian History
, the Bucharest City Museum of History and Art, the library of the Romanian Academy
, the Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu
; also in the Albertina Collection in Vienna
and in private collections in Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n painter who worked in almost every genre of painting before devoting himself purely to watercolor. He was also interested in decorative art
Decorative art
The decorative arts is traditionally a term for the design and manufacture of functional objects. It includes interior design, but not usually architecture. The decorative arts are often categorized in opposition to the "fine arts", namely, painting, drawing, photography, and large-scale...
, design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
, interior decoration and book illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
. In his lifetime, he produced more than 3,000 works of art.
Early life
Bednarik was born in Orschowa (Orşova)Orsova
Orșova is a port city on the Danube river in southwestern Romania's Mehedinți County. It is one of four localities in the county located in the Banat historical region. It is situated just above the Iron Gates, on the spot where the Cerna River meets the Danube.- History :The first documented...
, at the time part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, to Czech
Czechs of Romania
The Czechs are an ethnic minority in Romania, numbering 3,938 people according to the 2002 census. The majority of Romanian Czechs live in the south-west of the country, with around 60% of them living in Caraş-Severin County, where they make up 0.7% of the population.As an officially recognised...
parents; he was son of the second marriage of Adalbert Bednarik (originally from Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
) and Genoveva Hauschka, followed by two sisters, Genoveva and Maria.
While a pupil at the Traian High School in Drobeta Turnu Severin, he won first prize for his works in drawing at the Tinerimea Română society.
From 1898 to 1900, Bednarik studied at the Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
School of Fine Arts under the sculptor and water-colourist, Ion Georgescu. In 1901, he went to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
where he occasionally attended classes at the Academy of Fine Arts
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is an institution of higher education in Vienna, Austria.- History :The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna was founded in 1692 as a private academy by the court-painter Peter Strudl, who became the Praefectus Academiae Nostrae. In 1701 he was ennobled as Baron of the Empire...
; Bednarik preferred instead to study masterpieces in the collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Kunsthistorisches Museum is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on Ringstraße, it is crowned with an octagonal dome...
and the Albertina
Albertina, Vienna
The Albertina is a museum in the Innere Stadt of Vienna, Austria. It houses one of the largest and most important print rooms in the world with approximately 65,000 drawings and approximately 1 million old master prints, as well as more modern graphic works, photographs and architectural drawings...
.
In 1909, he married Elena Alexandrina Barabaş, also a graduate of the Bucharest School of Fine Arts. Together they left for Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
to study at the Royal School of Applied Art
Academy of Fine Arts, Munich
The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich was founded 1808 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria in Munich as the "Royal Academy of Fine Arts" and is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany...
, at a time when the city was a dynamic international cultural centre, brimming with new ideas, in particular the influence of the Jugendstil aesthetic.
Symbolism
The Bednariks made their debut in 1910, in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, at the Salon d'Automne
Salon d'Automne
In 1903, the first Salon d'Automne was organized by Georges Rouault, André Derain, Henri Matisse, Angele Delasalle and Albert Marquet as a reaction to the conservative policies of the official Paris Salon...
held in the Grand Palais
Grand Palais
This article contains material abridged and translated from the French and Spanish Wikipedia.The Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées, commonly known as the Grand Palais , is a large historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex located at the Champs-Élysées in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France...
. They returned to Bucharest in the same year. Ignat Bednarik exhibited for the first time in Romania in 1913 with Associaţia Artistică; he subsequently took part in official salons and opened his first individual exhibition in Bucharest in 1915.
His works of this period brought the influence of European symbolism
Symbolism (arts)
Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century art movement of French, Russian and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts. In literature, the style had its beginnings with the publication Les Fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire...
to Romania at the same time as Alexandru Macedonski
Alexandru Macedonski
Alexandru Macedonski was a Wallachian-born Romanian poet, novelist, dramatist and literary critic, known especially for having promoted French Symbolism in his native country, and for leading the Romanian Symbolist movement during its early decades...
was exploring similar ideas in poetry. The longing for evasion, a favourite concern of symbolists, shows itself in a variety of ways in his work. A symbolic interpretation of reality, seen through the world of myths, is found in works like Saved, while the interdependence of heaven and earth is explored in When the Gods Came Down to Earth and a demythologising of fiction is attempted in End of the Legend (all 1915). The need for escape, the longing for the absolute and the desire to recreate reality in an ideal dimension can also be seen in Towards glory (1915), The Spirit Triumphs (1916), Excelsior, The Paths of Life (1922) and Æternum Vale!.
The escape into the world of legends and ancient ballads (for example, Meşterul Manole
Mesterul Manole
In Romanian mythology, Meșterul Manole was the chief architect of the Curtea de Argeș Monastery in Wallachia...
) demonstrates Bednarik's debt to Romanian folk-tales, seen particularly well in his series of illustrations for Petre Ispirescu
Petre Ispirescu
Petre Ispirescu was a Romanian printer and publicist.-Biography:Born in Bucharest, his parents wanted him to be a priest and he was entrusted to study with a monk at the Metropolitan Church, after he studied with a priest at the Doamna Bălaşa Church....
's Tales of the Romanians (1925–1926).
Notes of nostalgia and reverie also permeate his portrait-compositions Ioana (1920), The Letter (1921) and Portrait of Mrs. M. Tomescu (1923), while his treatment of philosophical subjects, such as Towards the Styx
Styx (mythology)
The Styx is a river in Greek mythology that formed the boundary between Earth and the Underworld . It circles the Underworld nine times...
(1916), The Enigma of Life (1919), Chimera
Chimera (mythology)
The Chimera or Chimaera was, according to Greek mythology, a monstrous fire-breathing female creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of multiple animals: upon the body of a lioness with a tail that ended in a snake's head, the head of a goat arose on her back at the center of her...
, or To Be or Not To Be
To be, or not to be
"To be, or not to be" is the opening phrase of a soliloquy from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet , Act III, Scene 1. It is the best-known quotation from the play and probably the most famous in world literature but there is disagreement on its meaning, as there is of the whole speech.- Text :This...
(1922), is imbued with an air of symbolic mystery.
Another kind of symbolic escape is found in the realm of fine sensations, of correspondences. The theme of music often appears in Bednarik's work, for example Young Girl Playing the Violin (1915), At the Piano (1922) and Playing the Violin (1922). Bednarik often associates music with flowers which decorate the interior where the former is being produced; at times they are so faintly sketched on the canvas as to be almost invisible (another symbolist trait). Flowers are often present in portraits of children (Mother's Birthday) and almost always in paintings of female figures (a favourite association of Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art 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"...
artists), for example in Portrait of the Artist's Wife (1919), Portrait of a Young Girl (1925), or Portrait of Miss J.P. (1924). They are also seen in his interiors with nudes painted in 1921. The flower symbolism is enhanced by the choice of the blossom which accompanies the female figure. Mastering the delicate transparency of watercolour, Bednarik surrounds his sitters sometimes with lilies, but more often with roses or peonies. In his next period, from 1919 to 1928, the still life with flowers became one of his favourite subjects.
The novelty of his work lies in its symbolist conception as well as the atmosphere of deep philosophical contemplation, transposed through watercolour, which imbues his painting with such distinctive individuality.
Later work
The violence of World War IWorld 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...
brought an abrupt halt to his heady and coloured symbolist compositions. As a member of the War Team of Artists and Sculptors set up in Iaşi
Iasi
Iași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life...
by Queen Marie
Marie of Edinburgh
Marie of Romania was Queen consort of Romania from 1914 to 1927, as the wife of Ferdinand I of Romania.-Early life:...
, during the time when Bucharest was occupied by German forces
Romanian Campaign (World War I)
The Romanian Campaign was part of the Balkan theatre of World War I, with Romania and Russia allied against the armies of the Central Powers. Fighting took place from August 1916 to December 1917, across most of present-day Romania, including Transylvania, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian...
, Bednarik employed all his graphic skill in vigorous depictions of conflict and hardships.
Between 1915 and 1927, Bednarik held eight individual watercolour exhibitions in Bucharest and, in 1928, one in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He also executed a series of works which were designed as an overlook of typical scenes from Romanian daily life. Towards 1947, partially recovering his sight after a period of almost total blindness, he painted a number of canvases depicting characters from old Bucharest, or scenes from Romanian history (The Execution of Gheorghe Doja, 1954). In 1956, a retrospective of the work of Ignat Bednarik was organised in Bucharest by the Union of Artists.
In 1961 he went completely blind. He died two years later.
Legacy
Today, his works can be seen in collections and museums both in Romania and abroad, such as in the National Museum of Art of RomaniaNational Museum of Art of Romania
The National Museum of Art of Romania is located in the former royal palace in Revolution Square, central Bucharest, Romania, completed in 1937...
, Military Museum, and National Museum of Romanian History
National Museum of Romanian History
The National Museum of Romanian History is a museum on Calea Victoriei in Bucharest, Romania, which contains Romanianhistorical artifacts from prehistoric times up to modern times....
, the Bucharest City Museum of History and Art, the library of the Romanian Academy
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life....
, the Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu
Sibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
; also in the Albertina Collection in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and in private collections in Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.