Jan Matulka, American, born Czechoslovakia, 1890–1972. Untitled Study, 1940–1950. Watercolor/ink and red pencil on paper. 11 x 8 1/2 inches. Courtesy of McCormick Gallery, Chicago and the Estate of Jan Matulka

Jan Matulka: The Unknown Modernist

July 6, 2020 - September 6, 2020

Dow Gallery

Closing soon, this exhibition examines Jan Matulka’s role in the development of modern art in the United States, focusing on the students he taught and other early modernist artists who were similarly approaching their art. Born in Vlachovo Březí, Bohemia, in 1890, Matulka immigrated to the United States where he studied at the National Academy of Design in New York. After graduating, he traveled to Paris, experiencing first-hand the avant-garde through exhibitions he visited and artworks he studied. While living in New York City, Matulka taught at the Art Students League, where he became the first instructor to introduce modern art to his students.

Download the Exhibition Catalogue

From the Exhibition

  • Jan Matulka, American, born Czechoslovakia, 1890–1972. Untitled Abstraction, 1940–1950. Oil on board, 23 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches. Courtesy of McCormick Gallery, Chicago and the Estate of Jan Matulka