Václav Šára (1893-1951)

Personality in Art section

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Sculptor, painter

He was born of 28th November 1893 in Příbram as third of six children of František Šára and his wife Marie (born Štístková). After graduation from high school in Příbram, he focused on sciences and began to study Stonemasonry and Sculpture School in Hořice. He finished the studies in 1917 and continued at Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. For two years he studied under the supervision of prof. Jan Štursa and then relocated to department focusing on flat both-sided relief sculpture known as plaque or medal. He finished his studies in 1921, and his supervisor was Otakar Španiel. After the studies, he worked in Prague but kept returning to Příbram. Apart from sculpturing, he devoted himself to painting. His paintings mostly depicted mining motifs, but also fairy tales, carnivals or dancing. He was a member of an association of fine artists called Marold, syndicate and Fine Artists Union.

Šára organised the exhibition of his paintings in Café Na Příkopech in Příbram in 1923. He also participated in other regional exhibitions (e.g. landscape exhibition in 1930 in U Zlatého soudku restaurant, later in Sokolna in Příbram in 1940). On the first mentioned exhibition, he exposed two plaster figure models from the history of philosophy. In Jiráskovy sady in Příbram a sandstone statuary war revealed in 1938 to the work of the well-known Czech writer Alois Jirásek.

Šára dedicated a considerable part of his work to mining motifs. He received contracts from former students of VŠB (Mining University).  Statuary of president Beneš and Masaryk was revealed in 1938 in Štětí. Unfortunately, the statuary had to be removed after few months, reinstalled in 1968, and removed after Occupation in 1968 and placed on Mírové Square since 1990. Šára realised a series of bronze reliefs depicting miner’s work in coal mines in Břešťany near Most which were later relocated to SPŠ in Duchcov. Sculptor Ivan Lošák made patinated plaster casts tens of years later.

After World War II., he created a large relief over the main gate of mine “President Roosevelt v Ervěnicích“ and he created a monument to miners tortured during Nazi’s occupation for the Laušman Mine.

There are more sculptures made by Šára in his hometown: memorial from 1924 dedicated to Karel Domin who was long-term director of teaching institute (currently building of business academy) and bronze statue of a boy holding a flag and branchlet on Kotěvův Memorial (1927) to fallen soldiers during World War I. Memorial to fallen citizens of Březové Hory currently located on Hynek Hlička Square was revealed in the same year. In 1932 a sign of Příbram was put on town hall building, in 1934 allegoric statue of Love was placed on the balustrade of Svatohorské Square and in 1935 statues of Faith and Justice were added. These two statues were later relocated to arcades of little shops. At the end of the 1930s, Šára processed a proposal of a columbarium for Czechoslovak church on Březové Hory and created there some reliefs and statuaries. Memorial to victims of World War I. located at the cemetery in Příbram is originally from 1937. Some more sculptures are placed nearby – tombstone of mining officer Václav Oppl and professor of Mining Academy Alois Parma. Šára also created memorial plaque commemorating the visit of T. G. Masaryk in Březové Hory and memorial plaque of music composer Josef Bartoš originally from the 1940s.

His last piece was Monument of Soviet Army in Most revealed in 1951.

Václav Šára died on 17th June 1951 in Prague and his buried in Příbram.

Author: Hana Ročňáková, ředitelka Galerie Františka Drtikola Příbram