The Life and Training of Václav Chad

Born in 1923, Václav Chad enters the historical record through the halls of the Baťa School of Art. The school opens its doors on September 18, 1939, providing the foundation for his formal training. He does not merely study; he integrates into the industrial landscape of the era, working within the promotional department of the Baťa works. His life is defined by this intersection of artistic education and the rigid structures of wartime industry.

The trajectory of his life shifts abruptly in October 1944. The quietude of the studio gives way to the underground. Václav Chad joins the anti-fascist resistance, moving from the role of a student and worker to that of a leader. He directs a conspiracy group, operating in the shadows of the occupation. This period of clandestine activity reaches a violent conclusion during a Gestapo raid on a company dormitory on the night of February 23–24, 1945. He is killed during the raid while attempting to escape.

Artistic Works and Notable Pieces

The tension of the early 1940s manifests in Chad's varied output, ranging from religious iconography to experimental compositions. In 1942, he produced Crucifixion, an oil on canvas that now resides in the collection of the Hodonín Gallery of Fine Arts. This period also saw the creation of Fight, a colored drawing on paper from 1942. His technical range extended into stagecraft and mixed media, evidenced by an untitled stage design from the early 1940s utilizing a combined technique on paper.

Color and texture define much of his later output during the war years. Around 1944, he executed a portrait of a woman set against a red background. His experimentation with materials continued into 1943, when he produced an untitled work using a combined technique on paper. These works reflect a period of intense creative activity amidst the shifting realities of his environment.

Where to See His Art Today

His presence remains anchored in several institutional collections across the Czech Republic. The Hodonín Gallery of Fine Arts holds his Crucifixion, a work from about 1942. In Prague, the National Gallery preserves his piece titled Válečný motiv (1944-1945). These works exist alongside pieces held in private collections in Olomouc, where several of his drawings and mixed-media works reside.

The 14/15 Baťův Institut - Muzeum jihovýchodní Moravy ve Zlíně has previously exhibited his portrait of a woman on a red background, a piece from c. 1944. His legacy is also tied to the Galerie Václava Chada in Zlín, which bears his name and serves as a central point for viewing his output.