Josef Mukarowsky

Josef Mukařovský (April 6, 1851, Mainz – November 1, 1921, Klatovy) was a Czech painter and illustrator.

He was born in Germany, the son of a military officer stationed there. The family returned to Prague when he was eight years old. He attended schools there and in Vienna and completed his studies at a painting academy, possibly in one of the cities mentioned. After 1870, he contributed illustrations to various magazines, in particular Světozor, and published over 400 illustrations over the course of fourteen years. His other works included the decoration of the staircase in the Thunovský Palace.

He visited Munich in the 1880s and eventually settled there, starting a family and becoming part of cultural life. There he illustrated for German magazines and hosted many German and Czech cultural figures, which is why he was nicknamed “Muki”. His friends included the painters František Hlavatý (1860-1917) and Otto Peters. He also illustrated Karl May’s novel “The Bear Hunter’s Son”.

Shortly before the First World War, he returned to his homeland for family reasons and bought a house in Domažlice. He continued to provide illustrations for German publications until the war intervened. After the war, he concentrated on creating portraits of the local population. Uninfluenced by modern trends, his work remained of a practical nature. He died in a local hospital and was buried in the municipal cemetery. He was remembered as a happy, pleasant man.