(2016) MiNo. 871 ** - Czech Republic - Tradition of Czech stamp design: Karel Svolinský (1896-1986)

Karel Svolinský (1896-1986) was a prominent Czech painter, graphic artist, illustrator and teacher whose work is closely linked to folk culture and folklore. He was born on 14 January 1896 in Svatý Kopeček near Olomouc into a family with a rich craft tradition. His great-grandfather, Vavřinec Axman, created a carved nativity scene for the church in Svato Kopec, a testament to the family's deep artistic roots.

In 1910-1916, Svolinský trained as a carver in Prague, which influenced his later focus on woodcut and wood engraving. After the First World War, he continued his studies at the School of Applied Arts in Prague, where he studied under such distinguished teachers as Štěpán Zálešák, Bohumil Kafka and František Kysela.

One of his most important works is the illustration of the four-volume publication "The Czech Year", organized by Karel Plicka and František Volf. This publication, published in 1944, represents the richness of Czech folk folklore and is a unique picture of the folk culture of rural people.

Svolinský also participated in the decoration of the Olomouc astronomical clock, designing its new form in the style of socialist realism between 1950 and 1955 together with his wife, sculptor Maria Svolinska, and sculptor Olbram Zoubek. He worked as a teacher from 1945 at the Academy of Arts and Crafts in Prague, where he headed the Special Studio of Applied Graphics. Among his pupils were Jaroslav Sůra and Oldřich Kulhánek, known for his designs of Czechoslovak and Czech banknotes.

Karel Svolinský won numerous international awards, including the Grand Prix at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris in 1925 for his illustrations to Mácha's "May". He died on 16 September 1986 in Prague and is considered to be a continuator of the Mánes-Alsov tradition in Czech art.