Silver half-a-kilo medal Josef Lada stand numbered

The great artist Josef Lada deserves a great honor. The commemorative medal from the Czech Mint, which pays tribute to him, is minted from half a kilogram of pure silver.

As Pablo Picasso walked through an exhibition of Czech art, he was captivated by a work distinguished by its unique style. “This artist is the only original one. He is a man who handles form as freely as I do,” he declared. The man whom the legendary Spanish painter described as the greatest Czech artist, was none other than Josef Lada… He was born in 1887 into the family of a poor shoemaker, trained as a bookbinder and gilder, tried his hand at an arts and crafts school, but decided that formal instruction was not for him and that he would rather forge his own path. He was self-taught through and through, and when he combined exceptional talent with extraordinary diligence, the stage was set for success. In his work, he repeatedly returned to idyllic motifs of simple life, which he knew from his native Hrusice. He painted village scenes, landscapes, and folk customs. His characteristic artistic style was based on strong outlines and flat coloration. His disability played a role in this—as a six-month-old infant, he fell onto a cobbler’s knife, injured his eye, and lost his depth perception. Few painters, illustrators, and cartoonists have left behind such an extensive body of work. In total, he drew 15,000 illustrations and painted around 600 paintings. His book illustrations for Jaroslav Hašek’s novel The Fateful Adventures of the Good Soldier Švejk During the World War brought him worldwide fame. He also made his mark as a writer—books About Mikeš the Cat, About the Clever Godmother Fox, and About Bogeymen and Water Sprites established him as the father of the modern Czech fairy tale. Although he became a national artist, he never ceased to be a humble country boy, and his work has lost none of its charm even in the 21st century…

The author of this majestic medal is medallist Lenka Nebeská, DiS., who created faithful relief reconstructions of Lada’s works. While the obverse side features the painter’s self-portrait, the reverse side is a showcase of the four seasons.

The medal is numbered on the edge and stored in a luxurious wooden case.