Devětsil

File:REvueDevetsilu-1928-07.jpg

Cover of ReD magazine

The Devětsil (IPA: [ˈdɛvjɛtsɪl]) was an association of Czech avant-garde artists, founded in 1920 in Prague. From 1923 on, there was also an active group in Brno. The movement discontinued its activities in 1930 (1927 in Brno).

Founded as U. S. Devětsil (Umělecký Svaz Devětsil - Devětsil Artistic Federation), its name was changed several times. From 1925, it was called the Svaz moderní kultury Devětsil (the Devětsil Union of Modern Culture).

The artistic output of its members was varied, but typically focused on magic realism, proletkult, and, beginning in 1923, Poetism, an artistic program formulated by Vítězslav Nezval and Karel Teige.

The group was very active in organizing the Czech art scene of the period. Members published serval art magazines - ReD (Revue Devětsilu), Disk and Pásmo, as well as occasional anthologies (most importantly Devětsil and Život) and organized several exhibitions.

For the most part, Devětsil artists produced poetry and illustration, but they also made contributions to many other art forms, including sculpture, film and even calligraphy.

Significant Members

Devětsil is the Czech name for the butterbur plant. The name literally translates to nine forces.

Founders:

• Karel Teige
• Jaroslav Seifert
• Vladislav Vančura
• Adolf Hoffmeister

Most influential members:

• Karel Teige
• Vítězslav Nezval
• Jaroslav Seifert

Poets:

• Konstantin Biebl
• František Halas
• Jindřich Hořejší
• Jiří Wolker

Architects:

• Jaroslav Fragner
• Jan Gillar
• Josef Havlíček
• Karel Honzík
• Josef Chochol
• Jaromír Krejcar
• Evžen Linhart
• Pavel Smetana

Actors:

• Jiří Voskovec
• Jan Werich

Musicians:

• Jaroslav Ježek

Directors:

• Jiří Frejka
• Emil František Burian
• Jindřich Honzl

Writers:

• Karel Konrád
• Vladislav Vančura
• Julius Fučík

Painters:

• Adolf Hoffmeister
• Otakar Mrkvička
• František Muzika
• Jindřich Štyrský
• Toyen

Photographer:

• Jaroslav Rössler

Teoretics:

• Jiří Frejka
• Bedřich Václavek

External Links

• Poetism in Book Design from Czech Book Covers of the 1920's and 1930's in the Cooper-Hewitt national Design Museum Library (2004) Steven H. VanDyk