Jan Štursa

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Burial in the Carpathians, a World War I monument in Předměřice nad Jizerou.

Jan Štursa (May 15, 1880 in Nové Město na Moravě - May 2, 1925 in Prague, suicide) was a Czech sculptor, one of founders of modern Czech sculpture.

Štursa was born in mountainous area of Vysočina Region. He studied masonry and sculpture in Hořice and worked as stone cutter. Later, he studied at the Academy of Arts (AVU) in Prague under professor Josef Myslbek, a known sculptor. As a result of very rigorous criticism from Myslbek Štursa destroyed most of his early works.

Štursa was not influenced by Czech National Revival as the older sculptors but tried to find his own way. Female body was his frequent motive, for example in "Before taking bath", 1906 ^[1] or "The Melancholy Girl", 1906 ^[2]. A monumental couple of figures decorates pylons of Hlávka Bridge in Prague. In addition to stone and bronze he also used plaster and wax. Later, he became influenced by cubism. Portrait painting was important part of his works.

Tragedy of World War I (he had served at the front) influenced Štursa's work. The most famous work of this period is "The Wounded": early version, final version (1921), more details.

The inspiration for "Burial in the Carpathians" sculpture was a photograph from a Carpathian battlefield. Original group in Austrian uniforms was remade in 1920s into memorial of victims of WWI and placed in village Předměřice nad Jizerou, with copies in Místek and in Nové Město na Moravě.

During 1922-24 Štursa served as Rector of the Academy of Arts (AVU).

Štursa had suffered from syphilis. Growing pains resulted in suicide in his atelier, just two weeks before reaching 45.

[edit] References

Petr Wittlich: "Sculpture of the Czech Art Nouveau", Prague, Karolinum Press 2001, ISBN 80-246-0235-0 (in English, German translation available)
Jiří Mašín, photos Tibor Honty: "Jan Štursa", Odeon, Prague, 1981