Josef Šejnost

Josef Šejnost (30 May 1878–9 February 1941) was a Czech sculptor and coin designer, specialising in low relief work.[1]

Josef Šejnost

Life
The Wenceslas Ducat
The Windmill house at Křemešník

He was born on 30 May 1878, in the village of Těšenov (part of Horní Cerekev) in the Kingdom of Bohemia, Austria-Hungary.[2] After a local education, from around 1892 he studied ceramics at an art college in Bechyně before joining a ceramics factory at Rakovník.

In 1901, he returned to academia to study at the School of Applied Arts in Prague, studying under Stanislav Sucharda and Jan Preisler. From this stage his focus became small sculptures and commemorative medals.[3]

He set up studio in Prague. His work included commissions from the Prague Mint and Paris Mint.

From 1924 to1926, he was editor of the "Dílo" art magazine.

He had a long-running project (1929 to 1939) on a hill of Křemešník where he intended to establish a coin museum in an old windmill, greatly extended to accommodate the proposal. The project was designed by his architect friend Kamil Hilbert.

He died in Prague on 9 February 1941.[4] Much of his medal work is highly collectible.[5]

Originally buried in Prague, he was reinterred in the cemetery at Pelhřimov in the 21st century to be close to his home town. There is a museum in that town to his memory.

Works

Publications
  • The Problem of Progress in Sculpture (1924)

Family

In 1918, aged 40, he married the writer and journalist, Marta Kalinová. They later lived in Větrný Zámek.

Their son Zdeněk Šejnost was also a sculptor, he continued the "Windmill House" project after his father's death.

His younger son Dimitri Šejnost acquired the Windmill House.

References
  1. https://biblio.hiu.cas.cz/authorities/265
  2. Czech birth records 1878
  3. https://www.zlate-mince.cz/o_josef_sejnost.htm
  4. Czech death records 1941
  5. https://aurea.livebid.cz/auction/aurea_74/category/medals-josef-ejnost
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.