Jaroslav Benda (1882 - 1970) was Czech painter, graphic artist, author, designer of postage stamps and posters, monumental decorations. His contributions significantly affected the development of Czech book graphics.
He graduated from the School of Applied Arts in Prague. From 1907-1912 he was an editor of the magazine Světozor. He was advisor to publishers, Jan Laichtr and Jan Štenc for the proposed modification of individual books. From 1920 he was Professor of Applied Arts at the School of Applied Arts. In the years 1926-1928 he was the rector.
Jaroslav Benda influenced numerous areas of the fine arts in the first half of the twentieth century. Showing impressive versatility, his work spans from monumental decorative works, mosaics, etched glass, typography, and posters, to precious metal objects. He is best known though for his book designs, book covers, lettering, and typeface design. His work with leading publishers contributed to the foundations of the modern Czech book style.
Benda’s graphics and book typography cover a broad range of expressions, often following prevailing art trends or demands of publishing houses. However, there are principles common to all of his work: a professional exactitude, connecting his understanding of an overall concept with interesting artistic and typographic solutions, and his original use of typefaces.
In the first decade of the 20th century, Jaroslav Benda and several other artists stood at the beginning of a revival in the artistic quality of Czech books. He did not view books as a rarity or custom-made, stand-alone opuses. Rather, he relied on conventional printing presses and remained faithful to the original purpose of the book, which is to disseminate knowledge.
Aesthetically, the early work of Benda was strongly influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and the ideas of William Morris. This movement later led Benda to his art nouveau period. The indulgence in floral and geometric ornament so typical for this style, echoed even in his later, cubist designs, typically based on a geometrical arrangement of grid patterns and fractured lines. The establishment of the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna’s Workshops), Bauhaus in Germany, and a similar art group Artěl in Czechoslovakia brought up a gradual shift to modernism in Czechoslovakia and by extension in Benda’s work. He was a founding member of Artěl for which he also designed the logo and stationery.
In the 1930s, Benda attempted to develop his first, “typically Czech” typeface. He sent his drawings to the Monotype Corporation for casting, but the design never made it into production.1 As Benda believed the drawings had been destroyed, he continued revising his own version until the 1960s. In 1962, at the age of 80, he and his daughter Jarka Tupá published Betu (Benda-Tupá), an evolutionary conclusion of the designs supplied to Monotype.
Creator of a rather clumsy typeface in 1923 that exhibits quite a few irregularities. Veronika writes: In the 1930s, Benda attempted to develop his first, typically Czech, typeface. He sent his drawings to the Monotype Corporation for casting, but the design never made it into production. As Benda believed the drawings had been destroyed, he continued revising his own version until the 1960s. In 1962, at the age of 80, he and his daughter Jarka Tupa published Betu (Benda-Tupa), an evolutionary conclusion of the designs supplied to Monotype. Donald Partyka believes that Betu was designed in 1952, but, as mentioned above, it has its roots in that original typeface from 1923. Revivals and reinterpretations of his work:
• In 2012, at Type@Cooper in New York, Donald Partyka revived Betu as Benda.
• In 2017, Tomas Brousil designed a typeface in Benda's honor, simply called Jaroslav.
• In 2017, Slavka Jevcinova published Avory Latin at Rosetta Type Foundry.
© 2020. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Jaroslav Benda or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only
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Mr. Jaroslav Benda
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Cover for Anatole France’s book The White Stone 1906
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book covers designed between 1906 and 1909
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Mahen, Jiří. Podivíni (The Eccentrics), 1907
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Book cover for: Stanislav K. Neumann, Kniha lesů, vod a strání, Básně, 1907-13
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Title page of the book František Žákavec, O českých výtvarnících, Praha ,1920
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7 Shares of the Czechoslovak Legions Bank, 1921
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Bank note for five Czech korunas, 1921
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Golden St. Wenceslas's Ducat No. 1, 1921
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| Golden St. Wenceslas's Ducat No. 1, 1921 |
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Title page of the journal Styl, 1922-23
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JaroslavBenda Typeface, 1923
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Bronze, 1948
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Betu Typeface, 1952
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JaroslavBenda Betu 1952
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Czechoslovakian postage stamp
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Exhibition: Jaroslav Benda, 1882–1970 , 2017
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Avory typefaces
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Rijksmonument, Interieur
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Rijksmonument, Interieur
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Rijksmonument, Interieur
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The covers are from 1932 (left) and and 1946 (right)
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| The work of Jaroslav Benda, Retrospective 1882–1970 |
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| The work of Jaroslav Benda, Retrospective 1882–1970 |
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| The work of Jaroslav Benda, Retrospective 1882–1970 |
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| The work of Jaroslav Benda, Retrospective 1882–1970 |
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| The work of Jaroslav Benda, Retrospective 1882–1970 |
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| The work of Jaroslav Benda, Retrospective 1882–1970 |
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| The work of Jaroslav Benda, Retrospective 1882–1970 |
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