Description
Ludvík Kuba
Ludvík Kuba (1863 Poděbrady – 1956 Prague) was a painter, ethnographer, musician and writer. During his unusually long and productive life, he was mainly responsible for the documentation of Slavic folklore and an extensive painting work influenced by Impressionism.
He originally studied sculpture, but switched to painting. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague under Maxmilián Pirner, then at the Julian Academy in Paris and at Anton Ažbe’s private school in Munich, where he met Russian artists such as Kandinsky.
Before fully engaging in painting, he continued to travel around Slavic countries (Lusatia, the Balkans, Russia) and collected folk songs, customs and information about musical instruments. His main work from this period is the collection “Slavism in its Songs”.
After 1911, he settled permanently in Prague and devoted himself mainly to painting. His style was characterized by an impressionistic approach with an emphasis on color and light.
He received numerous awards for his contributions to art and ethnography. In 1945, he was named a national artist and honorary professor at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts.
He is buried in the cemetery in Poděbrady.
