Viněty, miniatury, ilustrace
Vignettes, Miniatures, Illustrations

Collaboration between Josef Portman and Women Artists

Summary/Abstract: In all, thirty-two artists contributed to the limited editions published by Josef Portman (1883–1968). Though the number of women artists in this total was not large, they did constitute an important part of his publishing work. Over the years, he invited three women artists to work with him. The first was Zdenka Braunerová (1858–1934), who, from 1922 to 1933, contributed to the decoration of his books. His collaboration with Milada Marešová (1901–1987), from 1938 to 1956, was the longest. The last woman artist he approached to work with him was Helena Šindelářová-Žváčková (1915–1971), who illustrated his books from 1955 to 1963. Since collaboration with each of them was linked with a certain period, the essay is divided into three largely independent sections, each of which is devoted to one of these artists and the relevant period, focusing on the particular features of their art and their collaboration with Portman. In all, they decorated 406 limited editions for him, a considerable number of which are deposited in the Portman Papers in the Art Collections of the Museum of Czech Literature.

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