František Bílek - artistic symbolist and mystic

Prague - Art Nouveau was a thorn in his side, especially the Viennese style. Nevertheless, František Bílek became one of the greatest personalities of Czech Art Nouveau symbolism. A versatile artist, he excelled as a sculptor, graphic artist, and architect, and was also a mystic and religious thinker. He created around a thousand sculptures, plastics, and graphics, and devoted himself to original book bindings, illustrations, and applied arts. Bílek, original, mysterious, and overlooked in his time, died 70 years ago, on October 13, 1941.
    His work was shaped from the beginning by deep piety; besides biblical themes, Bílek was also interested in national history and the ideas of Czech religious reformers. One of the central themes was the figure of Master John Huss. A significant influence on Bílek's work also came from his friendship with the painter Zdenka Braunerová, with poets Julius Zeyer, Jakub Deml, and especially with Otokar Březina, whose poetry Bílek often accompanied artistically.
    The young art student originally began studying painting, but fate changed his path due to a vision defect. Because of color blindness (partial color vision deficiency), he turned to sculpture - working with form and solid material. After finishing school, Bílek received a scholarship from the patron Vojtěch Lanna and went to Paris. There, in 1892, he created two large works titled "The Plow is the Punishment for Our Guilt" and "Golgotha - The Mountain of Skulls." However, both sculptures earned him a devastating condemnation from the scholarship commission in Prague.
    For example, according to the then-sculptural idol Josef Václav Myslbek, Bílek was not even worthy of comparison with his worst student. The unusual treatment and concept of Golgotha caused a scandal: with an empty cross without Christ, with the figures of seated Mary and the apostle John. The use of real ropes and a crown of thorns made of wire also seemed unacceptable. Bílek lost the scholarship. Misunderstood, he decided to return to his hometown of Chýnov in the Třebíč district and search even more diligently for his own path.
    He fundamentally rejected foreign models, believed in a personal encounter with God, and found direct inspiration in nature. In 1907, he created "Amazement" - probably Bílek's most famous and biggest sculpture made in the much-beloved wood. Other well-known works by the sculptor include "Christ," "The Blind," "Adam and Eve," "The Way," "Comenius Bids Farewell to His Homeland," "Moses," or "The Tree Struck by Lightning that Burned for Ages." Bílek is also the author of the striking "Crucified" - an altar sculpture in Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral.
    His architectural work is also significant; besides furniture and interiors, he also designed individual buildings. The unique villa in Mickiewicz Street in Hradčany, Prague, which Bílek had built in 1911 exactly according to his vision, is particularly notable. The conspicuous building made of red brick was meant to express "life as a field full of ripe ears, providing sustenance for brothers every day," and its floor plan resembles the trail left by a scythe in a wheat field.
    The villa, full of symbols, has a flat roof (very atypical 100 years ago), surrounded by columns representing sheaves of grain and referring to the architecture of Egyptian temples. Bílek's family lived here until 1939, and from the 1960s, the house has been managed by the Gallery of the Capital City of Prague. Last September, the monument was opened to the public after renovation, and the city's previous glory cost 40 million crowns. A collection of Bílek's sculptures and plastics, sketches, and graphics is on display.
    Bílek was born on November 6, 1872. He grew up in a family of a cooper, so wood and its processing accompanied him from childhood. He was very shy and somewhat oversensitive by nature. A consciousness of his difference grew within him, making him shy away from classmates and entertainment. His spiritual and creative life was also influenced by revelations. Bílek's support was his wife Berta, whom he married in 1902. They had two children together - Berta and František. Among his other great loves were music, gardening, and beekeeping.
    In his hometown of Chýnov, visitors can see Bílek's house, which the artist called "the cottage." It was built according to his design in 1898 and houses Bílek's early and late works, most of which were created in this very environment. The sculptor adorned the local cemetery with his creations, transforming it into a truly mystical place. Bílek himself found his final resting place here - at his sculpture "Prayer over the Graves."