ALBÍN BRUNOVSKÝSlovak national artist

Biographical data1935 – Born on December, 25 in Zohor, Czechoslovakia.1951 – 1955 –Studies graphic design at the High School of Applied Arts in Bratislava.1955 – 1961 – Studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, Graphic Department (under Prof. Vincent Hložník).1958 – Illustrates his first children`s books for Mladé letá Publishing House: Tricks under the Table by Miroslav Válek and Chocolate Fairy-Tale by Ján Stacho. 1962 – Draws his first post stamp design; since then he works on post stamp designs occasionally (34 designs were released by 1990).1963 – 1966 – Pursues postgraduate studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava.

1967 – He is one of the founders and organizers of the first Biennial of illustrations Bratislava and leads the Workshop of Young Illustrators from developing countries.1968 – Travels to Italy. This journey inspires him to a series of etchings entitled Bella Italia I – XIII.1969 – Starts painting on Persian nut wood by the classis method, i.e. Painting by watercolour, oil glaze and crayon on a chalk baze.1975 – After he bought a house in his native region of Záhorie as a vacation home, the rediscovered land of lakes and pine woods became a permanent object of his paintings and influenced his works significantly.1977 – Wins the competition for a new set of Czechoslovak banknotes. The banknotes with the values 1,000, 10, 20, 50, and 100 Czechoslovak crowns printed on the basis of his graphic design were successively released during the

period of 1985 – 1989. The banknotes were withdrawn from circulation upon the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993.1980 – Awarded the title of Merited Artist.1981 – Appointed Full Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Bratislava.1985 – Awarded the title of National Artist.1968 – On the basis of an invitation by the British Council, he visits several British fine art academies.1988 – Travels the USA and gives lectures at universities in Washington, San Francisco, Cleveland, Madison, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. He visits Coloman Sokol in Bryn Mawr.1989 – He starts designing a series of seven wood paintings for the new building of the Slovak Parliament in Bratislava. The paintings were completed in 1996.

1990 – Quits his teaching job to concentrate on his work as a freelance artist.

1993 – designs the setting for the opera Coronation of Poppea by Claudio Monteverdi mounted by the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava. His son Daniel designed the costumes.

1997 – Brunovský died on January, 20 in Bratislava.

Among his most recognized works are book illustrations of: The Chocolate Fairy-Tale by J. Stacho, The Blue Book of Tales by Ľ.Feldek, The Green Book of Tales by Ľ.Feldek, The Peacock King and other stories by D`Aulnoy, Slovak Tales by P.Dobšinský, and The Little Marmaid by H. Ch. Andersen.

Reproductions of Albín Brunovský`s illustrations made by our pupils

A LIST OF REFERENCE

Original pictures and the information about the artist come from the following sources:

1. Albín Brunovský. Maľby na dreve. Paintings on Wood. Published by The Gallery of the City of Bratislava on the occasion of the author`s retrospective exhibition held at Pálffy Palace, Bratislava, 2004.

2. The picture of young Albín Brunovský comes from kniznica-sgzp.webnode.sk