Martin Benka
Encyclopedia
Martin Benka was a Slovak
painter
and illustrator
. He is regarded as the founder of Modernist 20th century Slovak
painting. He was given the title National Artist. He is buried in the National Cemetery in Martin
.
, contrasted sharply with the functional and purist approach of the German Bauhaus
and Soviet avantgarde movements of that time. A contemporary of the famous Czech
generation of cubist artists, Benka lived in Prague
for 30 years. Benka, along with Ľudovít Fulla
, Mikuláš Galanda
, and the Czech Jaroslav Vodrážka created Modernist Slovak typography
. He was a prolific creator of different fonts - between 40 and 60 of them.
life and nature in his works, many of which he did outdoors and spontaneously. In addition to this, Benka built himself a countryhouse, which is today the The Martin Benka Museum as outlined in his will, in which he bequeathes his work to the state.
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
. He is regarded as the founder of Modernist 20th century Slovak
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
painting. He was given the title National Artist. He is buried in the National Cemetery in Martin
National Cemetery in Martin
The National Cemetery in Martin, Slovakia is the final resting place of many important personalities of Slovak history. The list includes writers, poets, national activists, pedagogues, etc....
.
Style
Benka's ornamental style, influenced by folk artFolk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
, contrasted sharply with the functional and purist approach of the German Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
and Soviet avantgarde movements of that time. A contemporary of the famous Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
generation of cubist artists, Benka lived in Prague
Prague
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...
for 30 years. Benka, along with Ľudovít Fulla
Ludovít Fulla
Ľudovít Fulla was a Slovak painter, graphic artist, illustrator, stage designer and art teacher. He is considered one of the most important figures of Slovakian Creative Art in the 20th century....
, Mikuláš Galanda
Mikuláš Galanda
Mikuláš Galanda was a renowned painter, illustrator, and one of the most important pioneers and propagators of Slovakian modern art. He is buried in the National Cemetery in Martin.-Education:* 1914-1916 Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest* 1922 Artistic and Industrial School in Prague Mikuláš...
, and the Czech Jaroslav Vodrážka created Modernist Slovak typography
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
. He was a prolific creator of different fonts - between 40 and 60 of them.
Inspirations
Whilst searching for characteristic features, forms and colours of Slovakia, Benka would visit regions where people lived simply, in communion with nature. Benka would often travel around the countryside, documenting ruralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
life and nature in his works, many of which he did outdoors and spontaneously. In addition to this, Benka built himself a countryhouse, which is today the The Martin Benka Museum as outlined in his will, in which he bequeathes his work to the state.
Paintings
- Rieka Orava (The Orava River)
- Jeseň na Spiši (Fall in Spiš)
- Dve ženy (Two women)
- Na pole (Into the Field)
- Drevári pod Ďumbierom (Woodcutters below Ďumbier Mountain)
- Za umením (On the quest for art)
- Po búrke (After the storm)