František Drtikol
Czech Republic (1883—1961)František Drtikol was born in Příbram, Bohemia, in 1883. He studied photography in Munich from 1901 to 1903, where he encountered Symbolism and Jugendstil. After returning to Bohemia, he opened a photographic studio in Příbram and later established himself in Prague, where he became known for his portraits of prominent cultural and public figures. His work combined the influence of early twentieth-century artistic movements with a distinctive use of geometric forms, light and shadow. He became particularly renowned for his nudes, in which carefully arranged lighting and projected patterns transformed the human body into a sculptural composition. In 1935 he closed his Prague studio and abandoned professional photography, devoting himself to painting and spiritual studies, particularly theosophy and Buddhism.
