Jirí Mucha
Encyclopedia
Jiří Mucha was a Czech
journalist, writer, screenwriter, author of autobiographical novels and studies of the works of his father, the Art Nouveau
painter Alphonse Mucha.
, he was in Paris
when Germany
occupied Czechoslovakia
on March 15, 1939. He returned to Prague briefly for his father's funeral in July of the same year but luckily was able to return to Paris and later to join a newly formed Czech army in Agde, eventually making his way to the United Kingdom
, where he was working as a war correspondent for BBC. He returned to Prague in 1947. In 1951 he was arrested by the country's Communist government for alleged espionage. Released from prison in 1954, he devoted himself to his writing and to publicizing his father's art, spending much of his life abroad. Living in Paris at the time of the Velvet Revolution
, which brought down the communist regime, he returned to Prague, and, between 1989–1990, he worked here as chairman of the Czech PEN club. He died of cancer in 1991. In 2010, a book entitled 'The Social Agent' was published that exposed an entirely different side of Mucha. Evidently, for many years he was a 'social agent' for the StB, his country's secret police. He was recruited for this because of his skill at attracting friends and seducing women in a large range of international social circles - hence the term 'social agent.'
[1915-1940]. His second wife was Geraldine Thomsen-Mucha
[1917], a Scottish born composer who lives in Prague. Mucha has a daughter, Jarmila Plockova, with Vlasta Plockova.
Some of Mucha's novels are autobiographical, e.g. Studene slunce (Cold Sun) - reflecting his experience of a life in Stalinist prison - and Podivne lasky (Strange Loves) - his recollections of his relationship with Czech composer Vitezslava Kapralova
and the life of a Czech emigre community in Paris at the dawn of the World War II.
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
journalist, writer, screenwriter, author of autobiographical novels and studies of the works of his father, the 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"...
painter Alphonse Mucha.
Life
Born in PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, he was in Paris
Paris
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...
when Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
occupied Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
on March 15, 1939. He returned to Prague briefly for his father's funeral in July of the same year but luckily was able to return to Paris and later to join a newly formed Czech army in Agde, eventually making his way to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where he was working as a war correspondent for BBC. He returned to Prague in 1947. In 1951 he was arrested by the country's Communist government for alleged espionage. Released from prison in 1954, he devoted himself to his writing and to publicizing his father's art, spending much of his life abroad. Living in Paris at the time of the Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
, which brought down the communist regime, he returned to Prague, and, between 1989–1990, he worked here as chairman of the Czech PEN club. He died of cancer in 1991. In 2010, a book entitled 'The Social Agent' was published that exposed an entirely different side of Mucha. Evidently, for many years he was a 'social agent' for the StB, his country's secret police. He was recruited for this because of his skill at attracting friends and seducing women in a large range of international social circles - hence the term 'social agent.'
Family
His first wife was Czech composer Vítězslava KaprálováVítezslava Kaprálová
Vítězslava Kaprálová was a Czech composer and conductor. Among her teachers were some of the best European composers and conductors of the time - Bohuslav Martinů, Václav Talich, and Charles Münch.-Life:She was a daughter of composer Václav Kaprál...
[1915-1940]. His second wife was Geraldine Thomsen-Mucha
Geraldine Mucha
Geraldine Mucha née Thomsen is a Scottish composer of Orcadian descent. She was born in London and studied music with her father. Later she studied composition with Benjamin Dale and Allan Bush at the Royal Academy of Music. She married Czech writer Jiri Mucha and had a son in 1948...
[1917], a Scottish born composer who lives in Prague. Mucha has a daughter, Jarmila Plockova, with Vlasta Plockova.
Work
- Za morem (1932)
- Ugle a cesta na konec sveta (1941)
- Most (1943)
- Problemy nadporucika Knapa (1945) (first published in English)
- Ohen proti ohni (1947)
- Spálená setba (1948)
- Sklenena stena (1949)
- Valka pokracuje (1949)
- Cim zraje cas (1958)
- Pravdepodobna tvar (1963)
- Cerny a bily New York (1965)
- Alfons Mucha (1965) first published as Kankan se svatozari (published in English in 1966)
- Studené slunce (1967) (first published in English)
- Marieta v noci (1969)
- Llydova hlava (1987)
- Podivné lásky (1988) (published in French as Au seuil de la nuit in 1991)
- Vecna zahrada (1994)
Some of Mucha's novels are autobiographical, e.g. Studene slunce (Cold Sun) - reflecting his experience of a life in Stalinist prison - and Podivne lasky (Strange Loves) - his recollections of his relationship with Czech composer Vitezslava Kapralova
Vítezslava Kaprálová
Vítězslava Kaprálová was a Czech composer and conductor. Among her teachers were some of the best European composers and conductors of the time - Bohuslav Martinů, Václav Talich, and Charles Münch.-Life:She was a daughter of composer Václav Kaprál...
and the life of a Czech emigre community in Paris at the dawn of the World War II.
External links
- http://www.radio.cz/en/article/11867 Czech Radio
- http://www.cfn.cz/osoba/34458-jiri-mucha Ceske filmove nebe - Czech version of IMDb database
- Laurence, Charles, 'The Social Agent',Ivan R. Dee, Chicago, 2010