Josef Sudek Czech photographer Date of Birth: 17.03.1896 Country: Czech

Biography of Josef Sudek

Josef Sudek was born in 1896 in the Bohemian city of Kolín, in present-day Czech Republic. At the age of 14, he moved to Prague, where he trained as a bookbinder. It was during this time that he first encountered photography. However, the outbreak of World War I interrupted his pursuits, and Sudek was called to serve in the army. He fought on the Italian front and sustained a hand injury, which later resulted in gangrene and the amputation of his right hand.

After spending several years in a veterans' hospital, Sudek decided to return to photography. Initially, he did not consider whether photography could sustain him financially; he simply needed a way to occupy his time and not feel like a useless cripple. He studied photography in Prague for a couple of years before embarking on his career.

In the 1920s, Sudek became a member of the Czech Photographic Society, where he played a key role in the formation of the "new Czech photography" movement. During this time, he relied on others to assist him with the large and cumbersome cameras used by photographers of that era. His early works focused on the veteran's hospital where he had spent much of his time, as well as the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. Sudek was known for his support of "pure" or realistic photography, which led to his departure from the Czech Photographic Society, which favored pictorialist photography.

In the 1930s, Sudek worked for the publishing house "Druzstevni Prace" and gained recognition for his photo album featuring images of St. Vitus Cathedral. He held his first solo exhibition in 1933 and participated in the International Exhibition of Social Photography in the same year. By the mid-1930s, Sudek was considered one of the leading Czech photographers of his time, capturing cityscapes, still lifes, and portraits.

However, the start of World War II and the occupation of Poland drastically changed Sudek's photography. He lived and worked in his famous wooden studio, which later became a landmark in Prague. During the war years, he predominantly shot indoors, creating a series of photographs known as "The Window of My Studio" and numerous still lifes that would become classics of the genre.

In the post-war period, Sudek documented the aftermath of the war in Prague, capturing the pain of loss and the hope for the future in his photographs. In 1974, a major retrospective of his works was held at the George Eastman House in the West, marking international recognition for his talent. Unfortunately, Sudek passed away in 1976, with only two years left to his life.

His studio was left abandoned and deteriorated, but it was later restored and transformed into the Josef Sudek Museum in 2000. Today, the museum stands in Prague, at Ujezd Street No. 432, honoring one of the greatest masters of world photography. Sudek was known for his modesty, never marrying and leading a reclusive life. He also had a great passion for classical music and amassed a collection of records.

Josef Sudek's famous quote, "I photograph because I still don't know how to do it. If I knew, I would stop," reflects his humility and dedication to constantly pushing the boundaries of his art.