Adolf Vondra

Adolf Vondra

Painter Adolf Vondra was born in 1932 in Kovářov nearby the South Bohemian town of Písek. He commenced his art education as a student of ceramics and porcelain painting at the State Ceramics School in Bechyně, while simultaneously preparing for enrollment in the Prague Academy of Fine Arts. Recognised as an exceptionally gifted candidate he was admitted at the early age of 16. He studied under leading Czech artists M. Holý and Vladimĺr Sychra, the latter being his tutor in the field of monumental painting. Under his guidance Vondra created his first major work intended for public display: the frescoes for the interior of Prague's Bethlehem Chapel. An excellent student, he was awarded an extra three-year honorary scholarship at the Academy, followed by training at the Oscar Kokoschka School of Colour Vision in Salzburg. Upon his return from Austria he settled in Prague for good.

Vondra specialises mainly in portrait and figural paintings.

He is also appreciated as an illustrator. His drawings and pastels grace many books by contemporary Czech poets and fiction writers.

As a painter, Vondra draws additional feedback from his work as stage designer in the service of the Prague Municipal Theatres and other prominent Czech stages, esp. those in Brno, Karlovy Vary, Mladá Boleslav, Hradec Králové etc.

His original artistic orientation stood him in good stead a few years ago in the course of a truly grandiose project-renovating the pseudo-renaissance sgraffito façade of the Stříbro Town Hall in West Bohemia.

His works are displayed in the South Bohemian Gallery in Hluboká, other art galleries throughout the Czech Republic and in private collections in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States. He has exhibited in some of these countries and in France.

Adolf Vondra is a member of the prominent Czech art society Mánes.