" JAN ŠTURSA " - SOCHA " DÍVČÍ AKT "

Jan Štursa

He was born on 15 May 1880 in Nové Město na Moravě and died on 2 May 1925 in Prague. Sculptor, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, one of the founders of Czech modern sculpture. He graduated from the sculpture-stonemason school in Hořice, which he graduated in 1898 with exceptionally good results. After school he began working in the quarry in Mittelstein and in the stone workshop of the Zeidler brothers in Berlin. After a year he finished his work and enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, where he was accepted to study under J. V. Myslbek. His first acts were created here. In 1940 he successfully graduated from the academy and from 1908 he worked as Myslbek's assistant. During the war he served in the 81st Regiment in Jihlava, shortly after he got to the front near Galicia. After injuring and staying in the hospital, he returned to Jihlava, where he stayed until 1916, when he was freed from military service by a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague after the death of Stanislav Sucharda. At the Academy he initially led a medal school. In 1919 he became the successor of J. V. Myslbek and in 1922 he became rector of the Academy of Fine Arts, holding this position until 1924.