Kamil Novotný was born in Prague 22 nd November 1892 into the family of a Malá Strana goldsmith. He studied at the local academic grammar school where he passed his leaving examinations in 1913. He then enrolled for the Philosophy Faculty of the Czech University in Prague and studied the history of art and Czech history in the 1913/14 - 1916/1917 academic years. His professors included several prominent Czech academic figures, such as Josef Pekař, Josef Šusta and the founder of the history of Czech art as in independent research discipline, Karel Chytil, to name but a few.
Cover of the catalogue for the 1935 International Exhibition of Paintings. Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh and a page from the list of pictures from Czechoslovakia - Kamil Novotný´s personal papers
Cover of the catalogue for the 1935 International Exhibition of Paintings. Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh and a page from the list of pictures from Czechoslovakia - Kamil Novotný´s personal papers
As soon as the independent Czechoslovak state was created in 1918, Kamil Novotný joined the Ministry of Education and National Culture, working for the department in charge of national culture, and for the entire interwar period he was active in a division that looked after national heritage conservation, museum activities, archeology and archives. He completed his studies while employed there and was awarded a PhD in 1923. Kamil Novotný was not famous for any outstanding works of research but he was a remarkable organizer and a good art critic, and he deserves no small credit for his presentation and promotion of Czech art. For many years he worked as Commissioner for Czechoslovak Exhibitions abroad, such as the several exhibitions of Czechoslovak art at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, the exhibitions of Czechoslovak art in Vienna in 1934 and in Moscow and Leningrad in 1937, the exhibition of Czechoslovak construction work in Yugoslavia in 1928 and so forth. Credit goes to him above all for the exhibition of modern Czech sculpture opened in 1938 at the Trója chateau in Prague, mainly displaying the works of J. V. Myslbek and J. Štursa.
He was also known in the art world as the author of numerous critical articles and more detailed studies published in the specialist and daily press. He also worked on larger studies such as one on the prominent Czech painter, Rudolf Kremlička, but these were never completed.
After World War II, Kamil Novotný worked as a departmental head at the Ministry of Education and National Culture, but he was pensioned off in 1948, subsequently lived in reclusion and stopped publishing entirely. He died 22 nd September 1959.
Written by Vaclav Podany
American-Czech relations
Czechoslovak participation in picture exhibitions at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh.
1. Correspondence (choice of exhibits, correspondence abroad, prices of pictures etc), 182 letters (1931 - 1939), a large number of which are to the Director or the Secretary of the Carnegie Institute: John O'Connor (24+11), Homer Saint Gauden (27+7), Guillame Leroll (35+11), Charlotte Weidler (21+5), 1931 - 1939.
2. Prizewinning pictures: a) text + photography of pictures, 1935, b) 5 photos of pictures, 1937, c) text + 5 photos of pictures, 1938.
3. Czechoslovak collection of pictures: a) documents + 5 photos of pictures, 1937, b) 3 photos of pictures, 1938.
4. Correspondence of Charlotte Weidler, secretary at the Carnegie Institute with the Bruckmann publishers in Munich, with Damer, C. Noll, the New Gallery in Vienna, J. Niedorf, O'Connor - a total of 10 letters, 1931-38.
5. Exhibition catalogues: a) catalogues of the exhibitions in Pittsburgh (1921,1922,1929 - 1931,1935, 1937 - 1938), b) catalogues of all exhibitions in other US cities (1932,1936).
6. Newspaper cuttings about the exhibition (1935, 1938).
All Sign. IV, ser. no. 230, b. 12 - 13.