Vinecký, Joseph

Sculptor, ceramist, craftsman

born: 20.02.1882 in Razdalovice-Zamosti

died: 01.06.1949 in Prague

The Czech Vinecký is the creator of the precious, listed majolica tiles in the Kaiser-Friedrich-Bad, built in 1910-13. He also designed the ceramic cladding of the hot and warm air room there.

There are several important stages in Vinecký's career. In 1901, he headed the Berlin sculpture studio of Henry van der Velde (1863-1957). In 1909, he founded his own ceramics workshop in Sinn/Herborn. His work in Wiesbaden, where from 1919 he had a joint studio with Hans Völcker, Edmund Fabry and his wife Li Vinecký-Thorn (1867-1952), where he also taught, is the period of his active work as a sculptor under the influence of Barlach's style. He was also in contact with the art collector Heinrich Kirchhoff and his circle of artists.

After working in Wiesbaden, Vinecký worked at the State School of Arts and Crafts in Breslau from 1928, initially as head of the carpentry workshop, then as a sculptor and ceramicist. In 1932, he took over the workshops for arts and crafts at the state art schools in Berlin. From 1937-39 he was a professor at the School of Arts and Crafts in Bratislava, then in Prague and finally in Olomouc. Shortly before his death, he moved to Prague.

The Museum Wiesbaden owns his expressionist bust "Sinnende" from 1921, as well as a precious piece by his hand, a picture frame specially designed for Alexej von Jawlensky's painting. An original adorns the "Abstract Head (Red Light)" from 1930.

A letter he wrote to Galka Scheyer in 1923 clearly shows that Jawlensky particularly appreciated the Vinecký frames: "My last experience in art was my head (like Winter) framed at Kirchhoff, next to a head (watercolor) by Nolde. Framed in a Winecki [Vinecký] frame, light gray with gold. The picture was so beautiful that we all (some art lovers) were silent for a long time". The Vinecký frame was reproduced several times.