Pavla Fortova – Samalova ( 23. 6. 1886 Praha – 4. 3. 1974 v Praze )

studied with Helena Emmingerova, Ema Krostova and Vaclav Jansa. She often studied abroad (Egypt, Greece, Dalmatia, Paris, Munich). She was a member of the Circle of Fine Artists. In 1905 and 1906 she exhibited in Prague in Krasoumna jednota under her native name Kropfova and then only in 1933 in the Circle of Fine Artists in the Municipal House in Prague. A collection of her watercolors and lightly colored drawings (from travels in the south, from Prague and from Trencin) was exhibited in February 1934 in Topic's salon in Prague (65 works). It was a factually descriptive capture of natural and architectural motifs and study records of artistic monuments (ancient Egypt, in Thebes' tombs, Old Prague, Ruins, etc.). She prepared an extensive art publication Egyptian Ornament (350 patterns) about this experience. She has exhibited with the Circle of Fine Artists since 1933 in Prague and abroad, since 1935 in the Zlín Salon, as well as in London, Paris and Edinburgh. She exhibited a new collection of 75 works, mainly from the Netherlands, Italy, Slovakia and southern Bohemia, in September 1936 in Myslbek in Prague. From 1935 to 1937, she lived in the Netherlands, Germany and England, where she worked not only on watercolors and drawings of ancient architectures and landscapes, but also supplemented in museums scientific commentary on the collection of ancient Egyptian ornament. From 1938 she worked on watercolors and drawings in Czech cities. She used part of the architectural studies to illustrate Cyril Merhout's books: Maltezsky rynecek, Malostranské mlyny and Ostrov Kampa. In 1940, she illustrated the Memories of Grandmother Kavalirova in Topic's edition. As a graphic artist, she dealt with smaller etchings ( drypoint ) , which were taught to her by Helena Emingerová. In 1948 she exhibited at the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague and in Frantiskovy Lazne. In the same year she published the book Egyptian Ornament.
Pavla Kropfová's first husband was Prokop Fort (son of Dr. Josef Fort, Austrian Minister of Trade in the period from 2. 6. 1906 to 1. 11. 1907 ) . The second husband was a well-known Czech and Czechoslovak politician, a participant in the anti-Austrian and anti-Nazi resistance, Dr. Premysl Samal (1867-1941), among others the first mayor of the capital of the City of Prague in the established Czechoslovak Republic and Chancellor T. G. Masaryk and Edvard Benes.