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The Creative Work of Karol Miloslav Lehotský
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Karol Miloslav Lehotsky

The Creative Work of Karol Miloslav Lehotský

by Vladimír Valentík

Karol Miloslav Lehotsky

The creative work of Karol Miloslav Lehotský consists of his portraits, landscapes and his mesianic-theosophic figure compositions and we can follow it since 1895. namely from his apprentice days in Sombor. From that period it is preserved a small drawing book (private property in Petrovec) with number of resembling and figural compositions. Among these drawing exercises of young Lehotský there is one drawing of a woman's resemblance Lady with ornamental stylistical characteristic of a secession drawing. The oldest preserved and identified paintings of Karol Miloslav Lehotský are creative allegories of year seasons (Spring, 1896, Autumn, 1896) preserved in Hložany and figuras compositions

Karol Miloslav Lehotsky Janosik's father

and portraits (Secret, 1897, Jánošik's father, 1897 - private property in Petrovec - Faust and Margaréta - private property in Bratislava)¹ romantic presentation of biedermeier epoch. Besides, to this creative period belong several portraits painted rather sternly and

Karol Miloslav Lehotsky Faust and Margareta

dramatic when compared with Lehotský's later activity (Resemblance of an older man, 1897, Portrait of unknown man, 1897, Nikola Njegoš, 1897 - property of Ethnographic museum - Slovak national museum in Martin) on which we find signs of Lehotský 's theosophic mesianism. Among oldest preserved works of Lehotský belong also study drawings (acts and portraits of models) from Prague academy preserved in Gallery of Zuzka Medveďová in Báčsky Petrovec .

Karol Miloslav Lehotsky Nikola Njegoš

The greatest part of preserved, identified and publically accessible creative works of Karol Miloslav Lehotský are portraits and landscapes. In Vojvodina among Slovaks in private property and in the Gallery of Zuzka Medveďová in Báčsky Petrovec from creative works of Karol Miloslav Lehotský are preserved only portraits, with few exceptions: one landscape from twenties of XX century (Landscape, 25 x 22 cm) - private property in Báčsky Petrovec and three paintings (Spring, 1896, Autumn 1896, Venice in night, 1903) private property in Hložany. The greatest number of creative works of Karol Miloslav Lehotský in Vojvodina are in possession of Gallery of Zuzka Medveďová in Báčsky Petrovec and a descendant of painter's sister Olga Turóciová, Dušan Turóci in Hložany. The greatest number of Lehotský's works in Slovakia are in possession of Slovak national gallery in Bratislava (30 paintings) in Martin are preserved many of his works (Slovak literal museum, Slovak national library - 11 paintings and Slovak national museum - Ethnographic museum 12 paintings). In museum and gallery collections in Slovakia Lehotský's works are also in Bratislava gallery (3 paintings), in P. M. Bohúň gallery in Liptovský Mikuláš (2 paintings), in M. A. Bazovský gallery in Trenčín (1 painting) and in Creative arts gallery in Hodonin in Czech republic (3 paintings). In Slovakia from Lehotský's creative activity most numerous are landscapes, mostly in Slovak national gallery in Bratislava and in Martin are dominant in number portraits of outstanding historical personalities, although, there are also three allegory-mesianistic works which are not very common in number. Karol Miloslav Lehotský is author of one altar work Last supper, painted in Petrovec from 15. January to 15. May in 1907 which is since then in Slovak Evangelistic church in Báčsky Petrovec. Karol Miloslav Lehotský in his creative work was devided among his religious - mystic feeling, and dreams and ambitions about which he dreamed already in his student days together with Jaroslav Augusta about ideals of Slovak national art, inclining to Bohúň tradition and national genre painting. Already at historic exhibition for Slovak creative art in Hodonin in 1902, Lehotský beside other things represented himself with one national genre painting from Hložany countryside - Exam before going to a Slovak celebration. Among works representing

Karol Miloslav Lehotsky Youth and girl in costume

ethnographic qualities of Vojvodina Slovaks belongs drawing Youth and girl in costume, painting A woman from Hložany work (1908) which illustrates in ethnographic-documentary way specific features of female national holiday costume. The specific features of national costumes of Vojvodina Slovaks we can also follow through a number of mainly drawn partraits of villagers from Petrovec, Hložany and Lalit... As a manifestation of his national feelings Lehotský considered also his portrait activity. Lehotský in spite of this remained "spiritual man... in eternal spirit living being", who is before all attracted by "eternal spiritual art". From this contrary situation Lehotský found exit in Slovak mesianism, namely his theosophic-mesianistic conviction he broadened with a national idea. For this reason his cultivated portraits made with a feeling for psychological

Karol Miloslav Lehotsky S.H.Vajansky

deepening into the portraited person (portraits of S. H. Vajanský, Mudroň and others) with time and with a great inner effort of Lehotský, grew into his national - mesianistic expressions, such as portrait of Samuel Tomášik. This painting Lehotský made as national-mesianistic symbolic vision and exhibited it under names Slovak heroism, Slovak saints heroism-Love and Ourselves stand firmly as castle walls. Some of his portraits and landscapes Lehotský consciously painted in oval, ellipse shape, not in usual square shape, because, according to Lehotský the shape of the painting has a mystic, or mataphysic dimension, because "elements of life exploit from oval shape, cosmic shapes are round and their track is eliptic, circle, is base of univers and base of harmony, balance is divine".²

Karol Miloslav Lehotsky Samuel Tomašik

So oval shape of some Lehotský's portraits and landscapes had to strengthen their mystic - metaphysic weight. Even his own signature name and surname Lehotský gave with similar meaning to change with a sign of safety: cross coming out from heart of surrounded sunlight, that is to say with symbols of faith and love. Time critic reception of Lehotský's creative work, but especially later in the course of XX. century pointed out and acknowledged first of all values of Lehotský's landscape activity, although Lehotský (according to Dr. Kolisek) said:
"Because of material shortage etc. I paint especial! landscanes. From the life of Slovak people - exemple of rather nice countryside-rather less., beauty of nature charms me permenently and attracts me and I can not resist and as I have convinced myself it breeds and makes an artist more perfect, so I am deeper in this knowing that more and more I am doing my best when painting more national with Slovak spirit will my work be. For me even Slovak beauty in clouds and on them, the beauty of perfect forms and colours by perfect master from heaven made attracts me and I like it and I would like to be a real creator and leader..."³
Karol Miloslav Lehotský in the history of Slovak creative art has a prominent place first of all thanks to his impressional - in some cases pointilistic painters interpretation of the countryside. As a plenerist he didnot achieve the level of landscape painting as French impressionists because of optical analyses of light, but using concept of colour valer, which he learned at Prague academy. Trees on his landscapes are melted in a fine magic of colours, and they look like as having nothing material (Countryside with a tree, 1913). During twenties of the XX century were created the landscapes, which in way they were made have ornamental features, which are characteritic for secessions. Painting Alley in oval shape represents trees which thanks to spiritual presentation in the form of reduced shapes and to colourful interpretation, brings Lehotský to the limits of abstract presentation. With this painting Lehotský of course not intentionally approached the problem of pure painting. In the between war period Lehotský's landscapes Vladimir Wagner commented as follows:
"From nature he took as much as possible to point out his artistic efforts. Of course such a plenairism was only means, he did his best to idealize it and as he said to find equal level between newer impressionism and deepening of older masters, as Bôcklin and others. Lehotský wanted to plunge into nature secret, make it immaterial and des-olve it into the secret of nature, make it immaterial and all this to desolve in a meek attraction of colours. Because of this the technic of impressionists defines also his artistic substance, but it does not correspond credo of impressionists. In nature he sees more than light and colour effect sense experience of eyesight. He wants to see the nature with spiritual sight, as if he wanted to penetrate into its inner beauty. In this way Lehotský did not reject the question of modern art, he looked for new expression, in a similar way as many of his contenporaries in western parts of Europe..."⁴
In later - very rare and unic - interpretation of his landscapes Anna Petrova -Pleskotová stated also that center of gravity of Lehotský's artistic importance is in landscape paintings:
"In his lyrically-meditative painted landscapes he continued in traditions of impressionism and plenerism... in using his colours he persisted mainly in broken tones and tender details. He painted with diluted lazúre colour taking into account transparent linen. In from time to time silver harmonization of his linen the example of C. Corot. His work with thin brush, puting colour into small areas and stains (Countryside from the banks of the Morava the, Tatras in winter, Village brook, Old ivies in birthplace, Autumn landscape, Landscape with trees)"⁵
The latest tries in the contemporary spirit of the time to find new coordinates of the start of artist modern in Slovakia, Ján Abelovský in the book Slovak artristic modern understands Karol Miloslav Lehotský's landscape painting activity as painting of light, namely as "hesitant and contraversial middle European redaction of impressionism"⁶ According to Abelovský, Lehotský tried to move forward this painting of light to move it forward by means of short and in Slovakia of that period unusual pointilistic manner (Evening motive from Backa 1898., Outskirts of village, 1899., Village brook around 1900., Birthplace around 1900., etc).

Karol Miloslav Lehotsky Village brook around

Lehotský in the spirit of the time and tendencies into his landscapes put more than primary purity of sight acceptance and his firm, objective rational picture composition. Creative work of Karol Miloslav Lehotský from new viewpoint of Ján Abelovský was
"one from among time examples which was not limited in merging antagonist opinion conception, in covering viewpoints of different trends of regional culture at the point when two centuries meet. Since his youth days he liked theosophy. In the same way as Medňanský, Halasza and others, he was under the influence of Tolstoj philosophy not to resist the violence and its cult of direct, natural, with individual feeling of gained religious faith and in depen-dance of this mystic calling off and self sacrifice"⁷

Karol Miloslav Lehotsky Birthplace around

Abelovský new understanding and placement of Lehotský into the time context reguires further extract from his opinion about exceptionality of Karol Miloslav Lehotský, because Lehotský was the only one to widen his
"esoteric principles with national idea. Or rather contrary-expression of national he found not in common transfer of example of village folklore into the world of high art, but in enriching puting national problems to a higher level with spiritual values and eternal national ideals. From this he got special, newtime shade of nazarenism: with national mesianism conditioned portraits and figural symbolic compositions of the type We stand firmly as castle walls (which should have been portrait of national waker Samuel Tomášik), whether to look for safety over the abyss or among spiritual hights. It is not important now that these and similar compositions already in the time of their origin-the beginning of twenties-were regarded as a blind street of tries for modern expression of programmed national painting. Especially when compared to secession flerting painting of Martin Benka. Such opinion should be regarded as completely justified. With the time it became obvious, that spiritual aspect of Lehotský's literary compositions gave us something more common, for all our nationally oriented modern painting very characteristic: the united willingness to break borders of shut naturalistic notes of the world of the national expression in the direction to the wider, spiritually more requiring, common human problems."⁸
That is the new historic value found in the creative work of Karol Miloslav Lehotský. New times and relations bring new valuation of art history and tasks of its creators. Deeper understanding of the creative work of Karol Miloslav Lehotský from that point of view is also inevitable, although perfecty analyses of his life work and his creative work, is not easy at all. His wander life with persistent movement from Backa to Bohemia, Slovakia, Italy or Croatia, is almost impossible to put punctually into the mosaic of his biography. His works are also scatered in several countries. One thing is however clear: Karol Miloslav Lehotský is one from among creators of Slovak moderna, although so far more relevant attention in the shape of creative monography was not devoted to him as to Augusta, Mallý and other painters-who together with him exhibited their works at the beginning of 20th, century and were in this way making way to Slovak art to modern creative expression. Karol Miloslav Lehotský's paintings in Slovakia were commemoratively remembered after his death at commemorative and thematic exhibitions.

Karol Miloslav Lehotsky Ružemberok landscape

His creative work was honoured also by inclusion into exposition Creative Art in Slovakia - in 1938 year in Košice and the same year they were exhibited in New York as a part of this exhibition. His paintings were exhibited in the Slovak national gallery in Bratislava for the occasion of 50. anniversary of the organisation of the exhibition in Hodonin in 1952 and also in 1956 on the occasion of the exhibition Morava people and countryside in creative art 1850-1920. Also in Považská gallery in Žilina when they organized a commemorative exhibition for the Group of Hungary - Slovak painters in 1983/4. The paintings of Karol Miloslav Lehotský were also included in the vast exposition of Slovak creative art of 20th century in the Slovak national gallery in Bratislava at the end of 20th, century, in 1999 in The Centre for Slovaks Living Abroad they remembered his life jubilee with independent remembrance exhibition.

Karol Miloslav Lehotsky Venice by night

The Slovaks in Vojvodina remembered their first educated painter for the first time after his death, in 1929 during National celebration in Báčsky Petrovec and later during each jubilee: In 1954 with exhibition of his works in the National museum in Báčsky Petrovec, in 1980 a bit late with exhibition of his paintings the Blatno gallery in Petrovec remembered his 100th anniversary from his birthday and 50th anniversary of his death and in 2004 year during 125th anniversary of his birth and 75th anniversary of his death, the exhibition of his works was organised in his birthplace - in Lalit and in the Zuzka Medveďová gallery in Báčsky Petrovec. In 1994 year the name of Karol Miloslav Lehotský was given to the Gallery in Báčsky Petrovec, which was opened in 1989 in the Gymnasium Ján Kollár and there is situated a permanent exhibition of contenporary creative art of Vojvodina Slovaks.
The road from the first educated painter from among Vojvodina Slovaks, Karol Miloslav Lehotský to contenporary branched creative art of Vojvodina Slovaks is thus closed.

English translation Fedor Červenský

1 Painter's handwriting suggests that the painting belongs to this period and not that it was made in 1903 Venice.
2 KRCMÉRY, Štefan: About people and books in the circle of artists, 1982, page 501
3 Dr. Kolisek, Alois: Slovak painter-mystic, Slovak views, year 39, No. 4 page 242
4 page 242 4 Wagner, Vladimir: Profile of Slovak creative art, Martin: Slovak Matrix, 1935, page 38
5 Petrová-Pleskotová, Anna: Karol Miloslav Lehotský, Bratislava: Creative life, year 22, 1977, page 49
6 Abelovský, Ján., Bajcurová, Katarína: Creative modem of Slovakia, Bratislava: Editor Peter Popelka, Editor Slovart, 1997, page 48
7 Ibid, page 84
8 Ibid, page 84

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