Czechoslovakia The Land of An Unconquerable Ideal

Today I wanted to share some illustrations by Jessie Mothersole from her book, Czechoslovakia The Land of An Unconquerable Ideal. This work of hers was inspired by a trip she took to the Czech Republic (then called First Czechoslovak Republic) in 1923 for a book she was asked to write by her London publishers. She...

Art and Design, History

June 24, 2022

Czech Illustrator Marie Fischerová-Kvěchová

Today’s post is about Czech illustrator Marie Fischerová-Kvěchová. The images below are from an old book of songs from 1925. The book is entitled, Folk Songs of Bohemia, published in 1925. A delightfully-produced collection of ten Czech love songs set to music with lyrics in English, including “Much Love”; “I Love You”; “Mariana”; “Frank”; “Johnny...

Art and Design, CULTURE

August 26, 2021

Czech Letters from 1899

Today we’re looking at a beautiful hand painted letter from 1899. Please take time to appreciate the time and effort that went into the little paintings, as well as the beautiful penmanship of it’s writer. I miss letters and post cards. I miss cursive hand writing. I miss the anticipation of writing a letter, and...

NOSTALGIA, Time Warp

August 13, 2021

World Famous Recipes of Czechoslovak Specialties

Are you interested in world famous recipes of Czechoslovak specialties? If so, then you will enjoy today’s post. I have had a little booklet for ages which I have wanted to share with you. It was put out by the Foreign Trade Commission and KOOSPOL. Based on the graphics and the amount of time I...

Recipes, Time Warp

November 29, 2020

Prague by Ivan Svatoš

Ivan Svatoš is a Prague painter and graphic artist. His works are represented in collections in the Czech Republic, but also in Germany, France, the USA and Japan. He mainly paints views of old Prague … He lives and creates in Prague. He graduated from the Václav Hollar Art School in Prague. In his work,...

Art and Design, CULTURE

February 24, 2020

Czech Fairy Tales in Advertising

During the First Republic, when shopping at the grocery store, children would receive a short fairy-tale pamphlet as part of selecting specific merchandise. These were usually printed on double-sheets with color illustrations. Usually the first page contained a picture with the name of the fairy tale, the inner part then had the text and an...

Childrens Books

October 11, 2019

Czech Graphic Artist Jiří Slíva

Jiří Slíva was born in Pilsen in 1947 and has lived in Prague since 1966. After completing his studies in economics he spent eight years working as a sociologist and futurologist. Since 1979 he has worked very successfully as a freelance cartoonist, illustrator and graphic artist. Jiří Slíva’s first drawing was published in 1972. He...

Art and Design

August 22, 2019

Emil Holárek and the Fairy Tale of Innocence

We have a special treat for you today, a very rare peek into a satirical Czech Symbolist publication illustrated by Emil Holárek about an innocent little nymphet, who wears herself out between various institutions of state and society and the wickedness of their protagonists, finally ending up as a supposed culprit on the scaffold. In...

Art and Design, CULTURE

August 18, 2019

Czech Painter & Illustrator Jiří Pařík

Jiří Pařík ( February 21, 1930 Prague – December 1, 1999 Prague) was a Czech painter, draftsman , illustrator, graphic artist and cartoonist. He was the son of sculptor Antonín Pařík. He belonged to the circle of friends of the famous writer Bohumil Hrabal. When in a Prague antique store this past summer, I happened...

Art and Design, Bohemians

May 25, 2019

Learning About the Czech Alphabet

One of our favorite Czech alphabet works were published as an “experimental textbook” that most remember as school posters entitled, Živá abeceda (pokusná učebnice) (Living Alphabet), published by the State Pedagogical Publishing House in 1954. Živá abeceda was created as a collective and featured the talents of Jarmila Hřebejková, Irena Fabianová, Anna Šimanová; illustrated by...

Childrens Books

June 22, 2018

The Life and Illustrations of Josef Paleček

Josef Paleček has won awards in Austria, Germany, France, and received honorary mention multiple times in the competitions for The Most Beautiful Book of the Year. His illustrations have caught the eyes and touched the hearts of people all over the world and one does not have to look far to see why. His illustrations...

Art and Design, CULTURE

June 21, 2018

Read This – Slovakia: The Legend of the Linden

Slovakia: The Legend of the Linden is a fully illustrated book about the folklore of the Linden tree, a beautiful tree native to both the Czech Republic and Slovakia which is also the national symbol for both lands. This beautiful book offers an in-depth history of Slovakia based around the Linden tree, or “Lípa” as...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

March 24, 2018

Czech Animation Master Jiří Trnka Documentary

Today we are sharing a short twelve minute documentary which will educate you on the famous Czech puppet-maker, illustrator, motion-picture animator and film director. A man who some believe was better than Walt Disney at telling a tale and a man who is known as one of the Czech Republic’s greatest animators, puppeteers, illustrators and story...

Bohemians, Childrens Books, Movies, PEOPLE

February 19, 2018

My Old Czech Letters from 1920

Sometimes it’s just an image. Other times it may be a bit more, like the delicate penmanship which caught my eye the first time I saw these old Czech letters and just knew that I had to have them. I believed the illustrations to be drawn on, but in fact they are some sort of...

NOSTALGIA, Time Warp

January 20, 2018

Interesting Illustrations by Adolf Born

Adolf Born was an illustrator, caricaturist, painter, and filmmaker from the Czech Republic. He was born in the Czech town of České Velenice, which is located on the border of South Bohemia and Austria, in June of 1930. In 1935, he moved to Prague with his family where he attended the School of Applied Arts...

Art and Design, CULTURE

August 20, 2017

Bohumil Stepan Illustrates Gulliver in Gulliverovy Cesty

Bohumil Štěpán (April 12, 1913 Krivoklat – March 1, 1985 Mnichov) was a Czech painter, illustrator and graphic artist. He studied at the Ukrainian Academy of Fine Arts and the Rotter Graphic School in Prague. He printed his first drawings in the student magazine H2SO4. In 1937, he exhibited a figural composition in the foyer of...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT