Koníček Oldrich ( October 12, 1886 in Kutna Hora - July 17, 1932 in Zehun) painter

He studied at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts under Professor R. Ottenfeld and Vlaho Bukovac in 1907 - 1912. In 1912 - 1913 he stayed in Paris and in 1919 in Italy. He exhibited for the first time in 1906 in Prague, where his paintings attracted much public attention. In 1909, as an apprentice to the Academy, he was exceptionally accepted as a member of the Arts Department of the Umelecka beseda and a year later even as a member of the Manes Association of Fine Artists. He came out of French Impressionism, but could not resist the influence of Matisse, Cézanne, Othon Friesz and Derain. His portraits, nudes, figural compositions and still lifes also seem to strive for an effective composition of shapes and interplay of colors. He was a supporter of the French post-Impressionist school, whose artistic ideals he was able to apply to Czech fine art. The artistic development of the painter was temporarily interrupted by the First World War. O. Konicek had to enlist in the Austrian army in 1914 and spent four years as an officer on the Italian front. In 1919, together with professor of the Academy of Fine Arts Ladislav Sima sent to MNO Czechoslovakia to Italy, here to artificially capture the places of fighting MS. Legionnaires. The result of his journey was forty-four paintings forming the cycle “From Italian Battlefields”. The cycle was first and last exhibited in 1920 in Prague's Belvedere. Despite the failure of the exhibition, he was fully involved in the art life in Czechoslovakia. He made a number of successful study trips to Slovakia, Yugoslavia, England and several times to France. He exhibited regularly individually or together with members of the Manes Fine Artists Association both at home and abroad. His paintings were highly appreciated by contemporary art critics at home and abroad. Unfortunately, on July 17, 1932, the abrupt death of the talented painter ended in Zehusice near Nymburk. Posthumous exhibitions from the works of the painter were organized in 1937, 1948 and 1942. Then there was more than thirty years of pause and only in 1973 in Kutna Hora and in 1976 in Prague was again reminiscent of the artistic legacy of O. Konicek by collective exhibitions from his lifetime work.