Holárek, Emil, tschechischer Maler und Graphiker,
geboren 1867 in Laun (Lany), gestorben 26. 2. 1919 ebenda. 
Schüler der Akademien Prag (unter Maximilian Pirner)
und München, wo er 6 Jahre blieb, um dann seine Studien in
Prag fortzusetzen.1 Jahr Rom.  
 
Holareks Bedeutung beruht auf seinen Historienbildern
und Themen aus der Bibel und auch auf dem
umfangreichen graphischen Werk, das er hinterlassen hat, und
in dem er kraftvolle, oft an Max Klinger erinnernde Zeichnung
mit ernster und scharf ironisierender Auffassung
der Zeitverhältnisse verbindet.  
Hierher gehören die “Reflexionen aus dem Katechismus”,
50 Federzeichnungen, entworfen 1895 (mit Erklärungen
und einigen persönlichen  Notizen herausgegeben Prag 1901
im Verlage Koci);
bereits hier zeigt sich Holarek als rücksichtsloser Revolutionär,
als welcher er dann auch in den technisch bedeutenderen
Folgen 'Noc' (Die Nacht), 14 Blatt, 'Sen' (Ein Traum),
10 Blatt, und 'Zyklus ohne Ende' erscheint: Federzeichnungen,
die die getönte Radierung nachzuahmen suchen und dabei
oft kreideartige Weiche erreichen (sämtlich Prag 1901).  
Noch vor der Publikation wurden die Originalzeichnungen zu
einer Sonderausstellung in 2 Sälen des Prager
Rudolfinums vereinigt.  
Von Holareks Bildern befinden sich in öffentlichen 
Museumsbesitz: “Rückkehr der geblendeten Bulgaren aus
Byzanz im Jahre 1001” (Sofia) und
“Die gefangenen Rebellen” (Laun).

Volné Smery, 1 (1897) 24 ff., 414 (Abb.); II (1898) 299 ff.,
305, 07, 10, 15, l8, 22; III (1899) 847, 543. - K.B. MádI,
Umeni výtvarné.  Památnik na oslavu 50ti letého panováni
Frant. Josefa 1. (hrsg. von der böhm.  Akad. der Wiss.,
Lit. u. Kst), Prag 1898. - Die Kunst, 1 (1900) 284. -
The Artist, XXXII (Dez. 1901) p. 196 ff. -
Kat. Glaspal,  München 1908 p. 121. - F. X. Harlas,
Ceské umeni: Malirstvi, Prag 1908, p. 173. - F. X. Jirik,
Vývoj malirstvi ceského ve stoleti XIX. -
Dilo,VI (l908/9)189, 209.

Pecirka, in Thieme Becker Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart, band 17/17, E.A. Seeman Leipzig, 1924/25.

Er war Mitglied im Verein Škreta und an der Gründung beteiligt. Vgl. Karolina Fabelová. Karel Vítĕzlav Mašek. Prag 2002.

 

Aus "Die Kunst : Monatsheft für freie und angewandte Kunst" - [MÜNCHEN 1900, VERLAGSANSTALT V. BRUCKMANN A.-G.]
 

From the Studio(?),  publication=2, volume=30, page=88:

Reflections from the Catechism. By EMIL HOLAREK. (Prague : B. Koci.)
–This remarkable publication, consisting of what the translator quaintly defines as fifty " Cartoons of Pencil Drawing representing Capital Sins, Capital Virtues, Works of Corporal and Spiritual Mercy," etc., leaves a somewhat unpleasant impression upon the mind as to what the state of society must be to which such a work could appeal. The artist himself says, or is made to say–for the English rendering of the original Polish* leaves much to be desired –"I place this protest of a suffering soul before the human society, as a grateful acknowledgment of the studied care with which it implanted into my heart that sensitiveness which makes me thrill more at the sight of another man's pain and suffering than at my own. It deprived my childhood of that sweet, natural egotism which constitutes its happiness, but my heart has been made accessible to the Christian teaching and faith, leading me kindly on to a more ideal happiness, in spite of many disappointments following my riper manhood

Polish* ist falsch, die originale Sprache ist tschechisch..

Dennis Hlasatel , Sept. 27, 1914. Bohemian-American Press Bureau

MR. HEARST REPLIES TO OUR PROTEST

Sunday, August 30, 1914, the Hearst papers, published in a number of the largest American cities, carried a reproduction of one of Holarek's famous
etchings. "The Moloch's Victims." The accompanying text explained that the etching is the work of the "great Hungarian painter, Emil Holarek".
The Cesko-Americka Tiskova Kancelar (Bohemian-American Press Bureau) has protested on various occasions in the past to the editorial officers of the Hearst papers against representing Bohemian artists as members of other nations, as the papers have done in the cases of Kupka, Mucha, and Holarek, who have been represented as Frenchmen, Germans, and Hungarians. As a rule, the editors publish a correction, but this has not stopped the
misrepresentations. For this reason, the Cesko-Americka Tiskova Kancelar decided to issue an inusually sharp protest in this case. 'The protest is adressed not only to the chiefeditors of all the large papers in the country, but also to Mr. J. R. Hearst. The Tiskova Kancelar stated in its letter that if the protest of the Bohemians of America is not respected, all Slavic organizations will be notified of that fact.

Two days later, the Chicago Examiner published a correction, in which the fact was stressed that Emil Holarec is a Bohemian, and not a German, Russian,
or Hungarian artist. This, however, is not considered a satisfactory disposal of the case, because such corrections have appeared in the past and
similar errors recurred.

But the Cesko-Americka Tiskova Cancelar also received a letter from J. R. Hearst in New York in which, through his secretary, he assured the Bohemians that he has taken notice of their protest and will see to it that his papers do not credit other nations with Bohenian artists.

Hearst`s assurance is meant seriously -and that it will never again be necessary to protest against the tactlessness of his papers toward the Bohemian nation.

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