DOI article:
Schanzer, H.: A note on the work of the Czech painter, Rudolf Bém
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43451#0242
Rudolf Bdm
won some travelling, scholarships, he was taken
•away to new fields of labour in Paris and Munich.
It is said that an artist who is successful in por-
traiture will surely be successful in other branches
■of art, and Mr. Bern has proved the truth of the
saying by his work during the last few years. He
belongs to those among the modern school of artists
who do not specialise in any direction but seek
and find beauty in all its manifestations. He is,
on the contrary, always ready to respond to new
ideas. Perhaps he himself thinks he has not yet
found a style of his own, because he continually
varies his work, from portraiture to nature and
back to more decorative paintings. But one can
always trace the intention of the artist to depict the
effects of light and colour in his work.
The pictorial problems of landscape-painting
have always strongly attracted him and for a long
time he devoted all his energy to it. The result of
this was a great number of varied impressions of the
countries which were the scenes of his labours.
The Modern Gallery in Prague has acquired his
picture called U Mlfna (At the Mill), which is a
beautiful example of an impressionist’s conception
of landscape. Notwithstanding his early success
Mr. Bern has happily escaped the great danger of
falling into the habit of repeating a few limited
ideas mechanically.
Lately Bern has turned his attention to the
Moravian and Slovack peasantry, with their highly
ornamental traditional garb. These have been the
subject of numerous studies, one of which is here
reproduced. I have heard that he thinks of
settling in Moravia, so that he may indulge wholly
in the impressions fostered by the Slav peasants
and their love of colour which comports so well
with modern methods of out-door painting. The
thoroughness of this artist does much credit to his
many-sidedness. He is a painter of great technical
powers, a finished draughtsman and a fine colourist
“A WINDY day” FROM THE PAINTING BY RUDOLF BEM
228
won some travelling, scholarships, he was taken
•away to new fields of labour in Paris and Munich.
It is said that an artist who is successful in por-
traiture will surely be successful in other branches
■of art, and Mr. Bern has proved the truth of the
saying by his work during the last few years. He
belongs to those among the modern school of artists
who do not specialise in any direction but seek
and find beauty in all its manifestations. He is,
on the contrary, always ready to respond to new
ideas. Perhaps he himself thinks he has not yet
found a style of his own, because he continually
varies his work, from portraiture to nature and
back to more decorative paintings. But one can
always trace the intention of the artist to depict the
effects of light and colour in his work.
The pictorial problems of landscape-painting
have always strongly attracted him and for a long
time he devoted all his energy to it. The result of
this was a great number of varied impressions of the
countries which were the scenes of his labours.
The Modern Gallery in Prague has acquired his
picture called U Mlfna (At the Mill), which is a
beautiful example of an impressionist’s conception
of landscape. Notwithstanding his early success
Mr. Bern has happily escaped the great danger of
falling into the habit of repeating a few limited
ideas mechanically.
Lately Bern has turned his attention to the
Moravian and Slovack peasantry, with their highly
ornamental traditional garb. These have been the
subject of numerous studies, one of which is here
reproduced. I have heard that he thinks of
settling in Moravia, so that he may indulge wholly
in the impressions fostered by the Slav peasants
and their love of colour which comports so well
with modern methods of out-door painting. The
thoroughness of this artist does much credit to his
many-sidedness. He is a painter of great technical
powers, a finished draughtsman and a fine colourist
“A WINDY day” FROM THE PAINTING BY RUDOLF BEM
228