Vlasta Prachatická - Portraits

In her original way, Vlasta Prachatická (1929) has managed to breathe new life into the tradition of Czech plastic art, with which she got acquainted in Španiel’s sculpture and medal art studio. While searching for her own style, she was influenced by a circle of artists and friends around V. Bartovský as well as Italian neo-realism (M. Marini). Vlasta Prachatická’s portraits are never merely a matter of mastered technique. More important is the emotional grasp of the issue, the identification with it and its internalization. A model is more of an impulse than an object of art. Prachatická insists on preserving the model’s semblance, however, she does not reproduce anatomic details nor does she narrate. She tries to capture the most distinctive features of the physical appearance as well as the spiritual substance of the portrayed person. From this she builds her artistic representation of reality. The intellectual and emotional life of man is her main preoccupation that she tries to convey in her art.