Max Švabinský
Max Švabinský (17 September 1873 – 10 February 1962) was a Czech painter, draughtsman, graphic designer, and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. Švabinský is considered one of the more notable artists in the history of Czech painting and produced significant work during the first half of the 20th century. He was relatively unusual among modernist artists in that his work was accepted by the communist regime; this was due at least in part to his having formed his artistic personality prior to 1900, prior to the advent of cubism. His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Also recorded as Max Svabinsky · Maxmilián Švabinský · Maximilián Švabinský · Maks Shvabinskiĭ
Max Švabinský

Anonymous Unknown author · http: archiv.ucl.cas.cz/index.php?path=RozAvn/9.1933-1934/1/6.png · Public domain
- Name
- Max Švabinský
- Born
- 17 September 1873
- Birthplace
- Kroměříž, Moravia, Austria-Hungary
- Died
- 10 February 1962
- Place of death
- Prague, Czechoslovakia
- Education
- Academy of Fine Arts in Prague
- Nationality
- Czechoslovakia.
- Occupation
- Max Švabinský is recorded with the occupation painter.
- Known for
- The Poor Country.
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Documentary connections
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
gnd · 6101024-8 · wikidata · Q159074 · wikipedia · Max Švabinský
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The documentary record
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Institutions cited
Bibliothèque nationale de France · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek · Getty Union List of Artist Names
Complete reading chain (JSON)In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Max Švabinský • Born — 17 September 1873 • Birthplace — Kroměříž, Moravia, Austria-Hungary • Died — 10 February 1962 • Place of death — Prague, Czechoslovakia • Style — painting, graphic art • Education — Academy of Fine Arts in Prague
Documentary record
Max Švabinský lived from 17 September 1873 to 10 February 1962 and was a painter, graphic artist, draughtsman, university teacher, stained-glass artist, engraver, glass designer, portraitist, mosaicist and printmaker. The birth of Max Švabinský is recorded on 17 September 1873, and the death on 10 February 1962.
Biography
Biography
Max Švabinský was born on 17 September 1873 in Kroměříž. Together with Jan Preisler, Antonín Slavíček, and Miloš Jiránek, he was one of the founders of Czech modern art. Early on, Švabinský exhibited period tendencies towards Plenérian Realism, Symbolism, and Art Nouveau. Some of his most important early works were portraits or family-oriented paintings. Švabinský and his wife Ela often stayed with the Vejrych family in Kozlov near Česká Třebová. There he was inspired by the picturesque landscape. This is the period in which he painted some of his most famous works. In Kozlov, at the beginning of the century, he took up graphics systematically, especially etching and Mezzotint. On account of the high quality of his graphic work, he was appointed a professor of the Prague Academy in 1910, and in the same years completed murals for the Municipal House in Prague. In the pages of Paradisiacal Sonata in 1917, he extended his range with wood engraving, at which time his graphic work began to overtake his painting. During the thirties, he had the chance to work in monumental forms. After the mosaics for the National Monument on Žižkov Hill, he painted boards for three stained glass windows of the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. At the same time, and with the same graphic skill, he was able to design in miniature for a postage stamp. At the first session of the government in 1945, he was awarded the title of National Artist. Max Švabinský died on 10 February 1962. The cottage in Kozlov (near Česká Třebová, East Bohemia, Czech Republic) where Max Švabinský stayed has recently been renovated and is now open to visitors. The interior looks just the same as 100 years ago and many of Švabinský's pictures are shown there. The tour can be performed both in Czech and English. Painted "Kamelie", Camellia in 1903. He also painted in Serbia and as such he is included in a list of Serbian alumni who graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague in the first decade of the 20th century.
Documentary record
The birthplace of Max Švabinský is recorded as Kremsier by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and as Kroměříž (République tchèque) by the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The place of death of Max Švabinský is recorded as Prag by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, as Prague (République tchèque) by the Bibliothèque nationale de France and as Praha by the Getty Union List of Artist Names.
Gallery
Gallery
• Illustration — Banknote from Švabinský • Illustration — Banknote from Švabinský • Illustration — Stained-glass windows in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague • Illustration — Stained-glass windows in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague • Illustration — Švabinský' grave at the Vyšehrad Cemetery
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Max Švabinský was recorded at birth as Maxmilian Theodor Jan Švabinský. The authorities additionally record the headings Max Svabinsky, Maxmilián Švabinský, Maximilián Švabinský, Maks Shvabinskiĭ and Maximilian Svabinský. His recorded language was Czech. He married Ela Švabinská and Anna Vejrychová.
Identity
Identity
Max Švabinský is recorded with the occupation postage stamp designer. Recorded with the occupation lithographer. Recorded with the occupation draftsperson. Recorded with the occupation printmaker. Recorded with the occupation teacher. Recorded with the occupation painter. Recorded as painter, lithographer, printmaker and postage stamp designer. Career and activity. Švabinský worked in visual arts, educational system and education. He belonged to Svaz československých výtvarných umělců and Czech Academy of Science and Art. He worked at Kroměříž and Prague.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1873
Max Švabinský was born on 17 September 1873.
1962
Max Švabinský died on 10 February 1962.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Max Švabinský was born at Kroměříž.
Birthplace
Max Švabinský died at Prague.
Deathplace
Recognition and collections
Where the work is held
Recognition and collections
Max Švabinský received Národní umělec, Legion of Honour, Order of the Republic, honorary doctorate of the Masaryk University and Klement Gottwald State Prize.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q159074: Max Švabinský
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Max Švabinský”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 6101024-8, Výstava Ráj a Mýtus - Max Švabinský (2001, Praha).
General reference · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Max Švabinský, revision 1372640895 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
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References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q159074: Max ŠvabinskýWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witnessauthority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 6101024-8, Výstava Ráj a Mýtus - Max Švabinský (2001, Praha).Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Max Švabinský was born in Kroměříž.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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