Biography of G. Kars

The Life Story of Jiří (Georges) Kars (1880–1945)

Georges Kars, also known as Jiří Kars or Jiří Karpeles, was a painter, a Knight of the Legion of Honor, and perhaps the most distinguished native of Kralupy nad Vltavou. 

Jiří Karpeles was born into the family of a steam mill owner in Kralupy nad Vltavou. While some sources mistakenly cite his birth year as 1882, official records from the Jewish community in Velvary confirm that he came into the world on May 2, 1880, in house number 7 in Kralupy, which served as the miller’s residence. 

In the final third of the 19th century, Kralupy experienced an unprecedented industrial boom. Entrepreneurs established new factories, taking advantage of the newly constructed railway, which became a driving force behind the development of what was then a relatively small municipality of Kralupy. During this time, Kralupy underwent rapid transformation, becoming a market town in 1881 and gaining city status by 1902. Among the newly arrived entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on Kralupy’s potential was Wilhelm Karpeles, who purchased the town’s steam mill in 1875 and began his business there. The Karpeles family belonged to the Jewish community in Kralupy. Most of the town's Jewish residents lived and conducted their businesses on what is now Žižkova Street, where the steam mill was located. However, the Karpeles family did not emphasize their Jewish identity and even changed their surname in early 1906 to the more Christian-sounding "Kars." Like many Jews in Czech lands, the Karpeles family identified with the German minority, and Jiří Kars received a predominantly German education at German-language schools. Nevertheless, he was also influenced by the Czech environment where he spent his youth and later always acknowledged his Czech roots. This was evident not only through his occasional visits to Bohemia while living permanently in Paris after 1908 but also in his by historical circumstances thwarted intention to relocate his studio back to Prague after 1937. Excessive nationalism was alien to him; he considered himself a cosmopolitan, unbound by the nationalist rhetoric of the time.

The Karpeles family had three children: Jiří, an older daughter Elsa, born in 1872, and a younger son, Hanuš, born in 1886. Jiří’s father placed great hopes in his eldest son, assuming he would one day take over the family business and continue in the milling trade. However, from an early age, Jiří showed artistic inclinations. Painting and drawing various objects became his obsession, and instead of playing with toys, he would draw whatever he saw. At that time, however, the idea of becoming a painter had not yet crossed his mind. Besides his artistic talent, Jiří was also musically gifted, as evidenced by his excellent violin playing. The pivotal moment that inspired Jiří to pursue painting came when he met the artist Karel Svoboda Suchdolský. Jiří’s father had commissioned a portrait of Elsa from the artist. Watching the painter at work left a profound impression on Jiří and ignited his desire to become an artist. The father, however, was unwilling to even hear of his son’s wish. As a practical businessman, he did not consider painting as a trade to make a living. Only after persistent persuasion by Jiří’s mother and the intervention of the family friend and patron Alexander Brandejs from Suchdol, who recognized Jiří’s great talent, did his father finally relent. He arranged for Jiří to have a private drawing teacher. The dream of becoming an artist captivated Jiří completely, and as he later remarked, "The life of an artist had far more charm for me than the stressful career of a flour merchant that I saw in my father." 

In 1894, Jiří enrolled in a German grammar school in Prague, commuting daily by train from Kralupy. After successfully graduating in 1898, Jiří’s father reluctantly accepted that his son would not become a flour merchant and agreed to let him pursue artistic studies in Munich. In 1899, Kars enrolled at the university in Munich to study art history a condition imposed by his sceptical father, who doubted his son’s talent as a painter. Undeterred, Jiří simultaneously applied to the drawing and painting program at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. After presenting his drawings, Georges Kars was first admitted to the preparatory drawing class led by Professor Knirr at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. In 1903, he was accepted into the class of the renowned Professor Franz von Stuck, intended only for talented painters. During his studies, Kars encountered the burgeoning movements of Impressionism and Art Nouveau and gained rare friends. Among these was his lifelong friend, Jules Pascin (1885–1930), an esteemed painter who would later settle in Paris. Their friendship lasted until Pascin's untimely death in 1930. During his studies, Kars embarked on several trips across Northern Europe, visiting Belgium, the Netherlands, and northern Germany. These journeys enriched his understanding of European art. Upon graduating in Munich in 1905, he exhibited his works for the first time as a pupil of Stuck at the Munich Society Secession. However, by that time, the Symbolist and decorative art of the "fin de siècle" period, as well as Stuck’s own style, had grown distant from Kars’s artistic sensibilities. The young painter began seeking his own artistic expression, inspired by more contemporary movements. 

Driven by a desire to deepen his knowledge and gain experience, Kars travelled to Portugal and Spain. The vibrant life and energy of the sunny south made a profound impression on him. Spain became a dreamland for Kars, not only because of its magnificent art but also for its extraordinary light, which was so unfamiliar to a northerner. He diligently studied Spanish masters, copied their works, and created his own pieces, brimming with light and colour. He stayed in Madrid for an extended period (1906–1907), forming a friendship with Juan Gris (1887–1927).

Kars also made trips to Germany, Hamburg. While the lesson from Spain led Kars to simplify and monumentalize the composition within the classical theme of the nude, it was his stays in Hamburg and Lisbon in 1906 and 1907 that fundamentally transformed his artistic expression. Without exaggeration, these two port cities, bathed in sharp coastal light that captivates any Central European, made Kars a modern painter.

In 1907, Kars returned to Bohemia, alternating his residence between Prague and Kralupy. In the same year, young, forward-thinking Czech painters came together to form "Osma," whose debut exhibition signified the dawn of the domestic avant-garde, heavily influenced by Munch-inspired Expressionism. Despite his personal friendships with some members of this group, Kars chose not to join them. Instead, he exhibited with the Association of German Artists in Bohemia, a choice that would not be forgiven by the Czech art scene. His German upbringing, studies in Munich, and particularly his long-term stay in France complicated his relationships with his Czech contemporaries for his entire life. 
In 1908, on the recommendation of his friend, the Bulgarian painter Jules Pascin, Kars moved to Paris. Pascin had relocated to Paris from Munich three years earlier. Kars was fortunate to arrive in the "Mecca of art" at just the right time, while it was still possible to join the spontaneously formed group of young artists from around the world, later known as the École de Paris (the Paris School). This group included luminaries such as Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, Marc Chagall, Juan Gris, Jules Pascin, Chaim Soutine, and others. Most of these artists were poor young foreigners who brought influences from their respective cultures. Their openness to new ideas created a truly unique creative atmosphere, which captivated Kars.

In 1908, Kars's personal life also underwent a significant change when he married Norberta Braunová (later known as Nora or Berta Kars), a native of Jihlava, in the vibrant artistic environment of Paris. His wedding witness was none other than poet Guillaume Apollinaire (1880–1918), a central figure of the avant-garde. The young couple gradually became active participants in the lively Montmartre scene, forming connections with an ever-growing circle of prominent figures of the era. Kars’s financial stability enabled him to host and gain many French artists, discussing emerging forms of art.

 He became a member of the Salon d'Automne and exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants. Max Jacob dedicated a poem to him, praising his "quiet masterpieces." In Paris, Kars's work initially reflected his fascination with bright light and vivid colours. However, by around 1910, under the influence of Paul Cézanne, André Derain, Pablo Picasso, and Georges Braque, he began to incorporate a more pronounced Cubist stylization. Nonetheless, he always sought his own path, striving to develop an independent style.

The painter's promising career was interrupted by the war years. As a citizen of an enemy state, Kars had to leave France and return to Bohemia, where he joined the Austrian army. He spent the rest of the war on the Galician and Ukrainian fronts. Fortunately, he did not participate directly in combat but served as a clerk in the staff. From the wartime environment, he at least drew inspiration for a series of sketches depicting soldiers and local villagers. These sketchbooks are now part of his estate, donated by his wife Nora to the town of Kralupy nad Vltavou and currently managed by the Municipal Museum of Velvary.

Kars returned to Paris at the end of 1918. However, he found his apartment and studio at 89 Coulaincourt Street robbed and in a desolate state. The local art community had also disbanded, making it difficult for him to reestablish old connections. Nonetheless, the new era brought new opportunities and inspirations. Kars abandoned his expressive and Cubist style, and under the influence of modernist trends such as Civilism and Neoclassicism, his work acquired a more synthetic character akin to the New Objectivity movement, as well as a more vibrant colour palette. In his personal life, he developed a close, long-standing friendship with the "artistic devil's trio" living nearby: Suzanne Valadon (1865–1938), her husband André Utter (1886–1948), who is more than twenty years younger, and her son Maurice Utrillo (1883–1955).

Suzanne Valadon was already a well-known model and muse for numerous Parisian artists by the late 19th century. Interestingly, it was she, once a trapeze artist who turned to modelling for artists after a fall from the trapeze, who served as the model for Vojtěch Hynais’ figure of the "Genius of Fame" in the curtain for Prague's National Theatre. However, by the time of her friendship with Kars, Valadon had become better known as a respected painter in her own right. She encouraged Kars in his artistic endeavours and spoke of him appreciatively within Parisian art circles. Her son, Maurice Utrillo, Kars' contemporary, was a complex figure within the Parisian bohemian scene. On one hand, he was a brilliant painter; on the other, he was deeply affected by a turbulent family environment and struggles with alcoholism. Amid the strained relationship between Utrillo and his mother, Kars became his confidant and closest friend. Beyond their shared passion for painting, the two men bonded over their love of music. Kars was a devoted music enthusiast and good musician. His relaxed painter's hand endowed him with undeniable virtuosity when playing the violin. He and Utrillo often played music together. Notably, Kars was the only artist to whom Utrillo granted permission to paint his portrait.

By the 1920s, Georges Kars had become an integral part of the famed "École de Paris" (School of Paris) and was recognized as a highly regarded artist. He exhibited regularly at Parisian salons and in numerous European capitals. His summarily seen sensual nudes, aligned with the contemporary Neoclassical trend, became key subjects in his oeuvre and contributed to his worldwide reputation. Kars himself expressed his artistic philosophy, saying he had a "feverish desire to work, but no program," guided purely by instinct and a wish to paint "people and things as they are."

During these years, Kars also made annual trips to his beloved Spain, for its light and landscapes. In the early 1930s, he purchased a house on Sant Telm Street in the small port town of Tossa de Mar near Barcelona. The town had become a gathering place for a select group of artists around patron and collector Fernando Benet, including figures such as M. Chagall, T. Fujita, and J. Metzinger. Kars's house served as his summer retreat for several years. He left a lasting legacy in what is now a bustling seaside resort, becoming a co-founder of the local museum and an initiator of quick-painting competitions. His contributions are still remembered today; the town continues to hold painting competitions in his name, and the museum exhibits several of his works.

In 1936, the Spanish Civil War forced him to leave Spain. This marked the symbolic end of the happiest period of his life, and the artist became a “fugitive” fleeing from fascism. Despite achieving significant artistic success during this time, including being awarded the Grand Prix in Paris in 1937, which earned him the title of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, Kars no longer felt content in the French capital and began contemplating a return to Bohemia.
Despite his love for Paris and Spain, Kars never forgot his native Bohemia. He visited his parents in Kralupy annually and sent paintings to exhibitions in Prague. During these visits, he travelled across the country, continuing to paint. However, the situation in Europe after the mid-1930s, when his works were removed from collections and galleries in Germany due to his Jewish heritage and labelled as degenerate art, pushed him to return to Bohemia. He hoped to find new artistic inspiration and protection from the rising tide of fascism. A prelude to this was his major retrospective exhibition at Prague's Mánes gallery in 1937, which became a significant artistic and social event, attended by none other than President Edvard Beneš.

In June 1938, despite warnings from friends about the dangers of fascism and perhaps in the naive belief that the young Czechoslovak state could resist totalitarian ideologies, the Kars family set up an apartment with a studio in Prague Vinohrady. They moved all their belongings from Paris, including Kars’s paintings and works by his French friends. However, the Munich Agreement opened the artist’s eyes, and at the last moment, he fled back to Paris with his wife. They were forced to leave all their works behind in the Prague studio, which were subsequently confiscated by the Nazis and partially sold off. After the occupation of Paris, the Kars family fled to Lyon, where they found temporary refuge before German troops occupied the rest of France in 1942. While Nora remained in France and joined the Resistance movement, the artist fled that same year to neutral Zurich to live with his sister Else Werfel. Little is known about his time in Switzerland. With the support of his sister and her family, he manages as an occasional painter, trying to make himself useful to his relatives in whatever way he could.

Following the tide of war turning in favour of the Allies and their gradual liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany, Kars left his sister’s home in Zurich at the end of January 1945 to return to liberated France. However, on February 5, 1945, during a stopover in Geneva, he tragically took his own life by jumping from a window at the Touring Balance hotel. It is widely believed, and most biographers agree, that the sensitive artist’s soul was destroyed by the horrors of Nazi antisemitism and the mass extermination of millions of Jewish people, which claimed many of his closest friends. Depression and emotional exhaustion from these revelations likely drove him to suicide.

Kars’s great-niece, his sister’s granddaughter Ruth Werfel, his last living relative, later provided the Georges Kars Museum with a melancholic, depressive poem about unfulfilled love that weighed heavily on his soul. It was written shortly before his departure for France. Could another woman have been the reason behind his voluntary departure from life? The answer to this question will likely remain forever unknown.

The artist’s final wish was to rest in his homeland beside his parents. After many difficulties, his wife Nora succeeded in 1949 in having his remains transported to Bohemia and buried according to his wishes in the family tomb at the New Jewish Cemetery in Prague Vinohrady. However, Kars’s other wish to donate his works to a museum in Kralupy nad Vltavou for permanent exhibition could not be fulfilled by Nora due to the tumultuous political climate of post-February 1948 Czechoslovakia.

The mission of the Georges Kars Museum is therefore to honour the legacy of this remarkable artist and fulfil his dream of displaying at least part of his works in his hometown of Kralupy nad Vltavou, as this world-renowned figure of the "École de Paris" always envisioned.

The museum thanks Mrs. Ree Michalová and Mrs. Anna Pravdová for their assistance in editing this text.

Sources:

• Jiří Siblík – Georges Kars
• Anna Pravdová – École de Paris and Czech Artists in Interwar Paris
• Articles by Otakar Špecinger for the Kralupy Gazette