Karel Svolinský

The focus of Svolinský's work is drawing inspired by folk traditions, folklore and nature. In addition to drawing, he was mainly devoted to free form graphics, small-scale graphics (Ex libris) and applied graphics (posters, banknotes, postage stamps^[3][4]), experimenting with graphic techniques. His typical graphic technique is woodcarve and woodcut (related to his training as a carver). He also excelled in book graphics and illustration. In addition, he designed tapestries, was a successful scenographer (theatre stage designer) and, above all, the author of the designs for several monumental realisations:

• 1930–1931: stained glass design for the Schwarzenberg family chapel in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague^[2]
• 1949–1954: design of the new form of the Olomouc Astronomical Clock, in the style of socialist realism (in collaboration with his wife, sculptor Marie Svolinská and with Olbram Zoubek)^[5]

He had been involved in stage design since 1940, when he was invited to the National Theatre in Prague by conductor Václav Talich to work on Dvořák's Jacobin.^[3] Later, he did guest stage design mainly for the Czech opera repertoire in Prague, as well as at the State Theatres in Brno, Olomouc, Plzeň and other cities.^[3] He also prepared a guest production of Janáček's Jenůfa for the Vienna State Opera (1968).

Svolinský illustrated a number of books (among the most famous is the four-volume publication The Czech Year by Karel Plicka and František Volf, (1944–1960) and covers of music books (e.g. by B. Smetana, L. Janáček, Z. Fibich).^[6] In 1925, his festive print of Mácha's Máj (for which he designed an original typeface and created a number of illustrations) received a main prize at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris.^[2] He also created posters, postage stamps, ex-libris, banknotes, etc. He also created a number of stained glass works,^[7] mosaics and glass paintings. Since 1935 he was a member of the Mánes Union of Fine Arts and an honorary member of the Hollar group.

He is considered to be a continuator of the Mánes–Aleš tradition in Czech art.

• Media related to Karel Svolinský at Wikimedia Commons