Databáze uměleckých výstav v českých zemích 1820 – 1950

Marie Chodounská was among the representatives of the younger generation of Czech (and German) female artists active at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. She came from a physician's family that moved from the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains to Prague during her early years. In the late 1880s, she began her artistic training in the private studio of Karel Liebscher, and subsequently studied under Ferdinand Engelmüller, whose influence is particularly evident in her approach to landscape scenes. Art education was not easily accessible to women. The Prague Academy admitted its first full-time female students only shortly after the establishment of Czechoslovakia, so until then, women could either study at schools designed for female education or pursue an alternative education through training in private artists' studios. Starting in the mid-19th century, a few institutes gradually emerged where women could learn the fundamentals of fine arts practice: the Higher Girls' School of the Royal Capital City of Prague, the Girls' Industrial School, and the Commercial and Industrial School. However, these schools taught art only marginally, and it was not until the end of the century that an independent Women's Department was established at the School of Applied Arts in Prague, offering comprehensive art education. Although this was a significant advancement in women's art education, the best option for women seeking a professional career in this field was to study abroad.

The Topič Salon launched its winter 1909 season with an exhibition of Marie Chodounská's paintings. It was her first solo exhibition, showcasing a substantial body of work comprising 64 paintings, primarily landscapes and floral still lifes. In his article for the periodical Národní politika, František Xaver Jiřík noted that women's art was viewed with certain social skepticism. However, he believed that Chodounská had the ability to transcend this stereotype through her mature work, which had "specific artistic qualities." These qualities were particularly evident in her smaller pieces, executed with an energy that was unusual for a woman. However, he found a certain unevenness in her large-format works. Unlike the small formats that Chodounská created en plein air, large-format paintings required more sustained work in the studio; therefore, they lacked the immediacy that characterized her outdoor works. Jiřík concluded that the comprehensive exhibition was a "testimony to [Chodounská’s] creative ability." [Jiřík 1909] The positive responses from professional art critics and the generally strong public interest in the exhibition suggest that Chodounská was perceived as an unusually gifted artist. In his article for Naše doba, František Táborský called her a true talent, one that could treat natural subjects with genuine sensibility regardless of current artistic tendencies. Overall, reviewers discussed Chodounská with considerable respect. In addition to emphasizing her sense of depicting natural scenes, she was also described as a virtuoso colourist. Her way of using colours is most evident in floral still lifes such as White Peonies, Roses, or Corn Poppies, in which she employed a broad colour range and thus managed to "capture the intimate charm of flowers." [J. P. 1909] According to the same reviewer, her talent lay precisely in the way she understood everything that surrounded her in nature.

The exhibition was open to the public for three weeks in October. Ten paintings were sold in the first week alone, and this number eventually increased to a total of 14 paintings sold over the entire duration of the exhibition. Chodounská's works subsequently appeared at several collective exhibitions, such as the annual exhibition of Fine Arts Association (Krasoumná jednota) and the exhibition of Czech graphic arts at the Topič Salon.

Exhibitions featuring female artists at major venues were relatively common in Prague. A few years earlier, Chodounská, who had recently completed private training under Ferdinand Engelmüller, participated in the first "exhibition of women's visual art", which was organized by the Central Association of Czech Women (Ústřední spolek českých žen) in 1905 as the first presentation of works by women artists. Immediately following the conclusion of Chodounská's 1909 solo show, three female artists — Era (also known as Ora) Robínová, Marie Tenišová, and Zdenka Braunerová — exhibited their decorative artworks. The next solo exhibition of Marie Chodounská's work did not take place until 1923, shortly after her death – it was held in the Rudolfinum exhibition halls. Notable solo exhibitions of women artists in the 1920s include those of Zdenka Liebscherová-Čechová, Zdenka Mašková, Hilda Pollaková, and Božena Jelínková-Jirásková. These exhibitions demonstrate the growing public interest in women's art and the gradual consolidation of women artists' positions in the local art world. Despite critical responses from conservative reviewers, their work found its audience and prepared the ground for future generations of female artists.

Kamila Červinková

Works Cited

Jiřík 1909: F. X. Jiřík, Výstava obrazů sl. Marie Chodounské, Národní politika XXVII, 1909, reprint in: Národní politika XLII, 1924, pp. 10–11

Táborský 1909: František Táborský, Krajinářská výstava Marie Chodounské, Naše doba XI, 1909, no. 1, 20.10., pp. 62–63

J. P. 1909: J.P., Malířka Marie Chodounská, Nové pařížské módy XXII, supplement Dámské besedy, 1909, no. 4, 15. 11., p. 8

Further Reading

Karel Chodounský, Marie Chodounská. Kritiky a úvahy tiskem vyšlé, Praha 1924

Martina Pachmanová, Zrození umělkyně z pěny limonády. Genderové kontexty české moderní teorie a kritiky umění, Praha 2013

Libuše Heczková – Martina Pachmanová – Petr Šámal, Jak odlesk měsíce v jezeře. Česká teorie a kritika umění v genderových souvislostech 1865–1945, Praha 2014

Anonymous author, Topičův salon, Čas XXIII, 1909, no. 272, 2. 10., p. 4

Anonymous author, Topičův salon, České slovo III, 1909, no. 231, 5. 10., p. 3

Anonymous author, Souborná výstava české malířky sl. Marie Chodounské..., Právo lidu XVIII, 1909, no. 277, 7. 10., p. 1

Anonymous author, Výstava Marie Chodounské..., Venkov IV, 1909, no. 240, 10. 10., p. 11

Anonymous author, Souborná výstava české malířky sl. Marie Chodounské..., Venkov IV, 1909, no. 243, 14. 10., p. 10

Anonymous author, Souborná výstava české malířky sl. Marie Chodounské..., Právo lidu XVIII, 1909, no. 284, 14. 10., p. 1

Anonymous author, Směs, Ženské listy XXXVII, 1909, no. 11, 11. 10., p. 231

Anonymous author, Topičův salon, Čas XXIII, 1909, no. 291, 21. 10., p. 4