Josef Lada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Josef Lada
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Josef Lada, 1940
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| Born | 17 December 1887 Hrusice, Kingdom of Bohemia
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| Died | 14 December 1957 (aged 69) |
| Occupation | Illustrator, Writer |
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Josef Lada was a famous Czech painter, illustrator, and writer. He was born on December 17, 1887, in a small village called Hrusice in Bohemia. He passed away on December 14, 1957, in Prague, and was buried at Olšany Cemetery.
Lada is best known for his amazing drawings for Jaroslav Hašek's famous World War I novel, The Good Soldier Švejk. His illustrations helped bring the story to life for many readers. In 1963, he even won the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, a special award for children's literature. Did you know that an asteroid, 17625 Joseflada, was named after him?
Contents
Josef Lada's Life and Art
Early Life and Becoming an Artist
Josef Lada was born into a cobbler's family in the village of Hrusice. When he was 14 years old, he moved to Prague. There, he started an apprenticeship to become a binder.
Lada was completely self-taught as an artist. He developed his own unique style. He began his career drawing cartoons for newspapers. Later, he became a well-known illustrator for books.
His Creative Works
Over his life, Josef Lada created many different kinds of art. He painted beautiful landscapes. He also designed large wall paintings called frescoes. Lada even created costumes for plays and films.
He drew and painted many pictures showing traditional Czech jobs and village life. One of his most beloved creations was a series of stories about Mikeš. Mikeš was a little black cat who could talk and had many adventures. Lada wrote and illustrated these stories himself.
Illustrating The Good Soldier Švejk
Josef Lada created nearly 600 cartoons for the characters in The Good Soldier Švejk. These drawings showed officers and civil servants from Austria-Hungary. His illustrations became very famous.
Almost all later editions of the Švejk book used Lada's drawings. This shows how important his art was to the story. Only a few special editions, like one from 2008/2009, used different illustrators.
Gallery
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Birthplace of Josef Lada
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Lada's villa in Hrusice today houses his museum
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One of the cartoons from The Good Soldier Švejk
