The Saudek brothers: 90 years since the birth of the twin legends of Czech art
On May 13th 1935, twins Karel and Jan Saudek were born in Prague. Their life story is like something out of a dramatic film – from their early childhood during the Nazi occupation to their unique artistic careers that made them legends of Czech comics and photography.
Kája Saudek: The king of Czech comics
Kája Saudek was a pioneer of Czech comics, and his style is still unmistakable today. His strong, dynamic line, exaggeration, irony, eroticism and distinctive humour created a visual language that has appealed to successive generations.
His key work is Muriel and the Angels from 1969, which has been called the best Czech comic of all time, and is known for Pepík Hipík and Lips Tullian too. He also made a significant impact as a graphic designer and typographer, his visual style appeared in magazines, film titles and posters.
Unfortunately, his life story combines triumph with tragedy – after 2006 he fell into a long-term coma, and died in 2015.
- He was born into the family of a bank clerk, which meant that he could not devote himself to his creative work immediately after finishing school; he became a technical draftsman and set designer at the Barrandov film studios.
- He got into comics thanks to his work on the film Who Wants to Kill Jessie?
- Kája Saudek died in June 2015 at the age of eighty after nine years spent in a coma after accidentally getting a bite in his throat. He is buried in the Vyšehrad Cemetery.
Jan Saudek: The rebel of Czech photography
Jan Saudek is a true example of a celebrity artist. His stylised photographs of nude or semi-nude figures in front of a wall with peeling wallpaper have become iconic, as has his unconventional view of the beauty of the human body.
After 1977, his work shifted to colour photography, creating a completely unique visual style. His work was met with great acclaim in France and the USA, where he had several exhibitions and received prestigious awards, including the status of chevalier of the French Légion d'honneur.
Jan is known not only as an artist, but also as a provocateur – he has always liked to defy conventions, and has loved women, life and freedom. Even though he is now more devoted to painting, his name still resonates in the Czech cultural space. At ninety years of age, he is bursting with energy. In early April, he opened a retrospective exhibition of his photographs at the Wallenstein Palace in Prague.
- Jan Saudek studied graphic design in Prague and from 1950 worked as a production photographer in printing houses.
- At the end of the 1960s he gained experience in America, and had his first exhibition at the University of Indiana in Bloomington.
- The communist authorities in Czechoslovakia labelled Saudek a pornographer and interfered several times with his work.
- He has worked with various artists from all over the world and, together with Josef Sudek and Josef Koudelka, Saudek is one of the most internationally successful Czech photographers.
- He is now married for the fourth time and has twelve children, thanks to which he has long been a favourite of the tabloid newspapers.
The legacy of the Saudek brothers
The Saudek brothers were and still are symbols of artistic freedom, endless energy and the desire to create. Kája defined Czech comics, while Jan embodied independent photography. Although their paths diverged, one thing is undeniable: their lasting influence on Czech art.
