T.F Šimon & Mšeno

 
 


 

Mšeno (German: Mscheno, later Wemschen) is a town with around 1500 residents in the region (okres) Mělník, northwest from Prague) in Bohemia.
The town is situated at the border of the
Daubaer Schweiz (Kokořínsko, or Dubske Skaly).
The Czech artist Tavik František Šimon (1877-1942) was born in
Železnice, but spent most of his youth in Mšeno.
The region was before 1945/46 settled with both Czechs and Germans.


From Martin Mach, mayor of the town Mšeno in Bohemia, we received (March 2008) the following information:
     

Master T.F.Šimon (born Tavik František Šimon in 1877), a professor in painting with the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, a widely-known graphic artist who spent a good deal of his childhood and adolescent life in Mšeno.

This is what T.F.Šimon had to say about the town: “Mšeno brings to my mind an abundance of the best moments in my whole life – youth in its wake, with dreams, desires and ideals which would sprout nowhere better than in the country meant for the sensitive soul of an artist.” He would later add that: ”I feel a deep and legitimate attachment to your town, as its former dweller, who may have wandered about the world too much but who will never forget this place, with its picturesque landscape and the many good friends I had here and where I spent my joyful youth.”

Between 1926 and 1927, he set off for a trip around the world so he could capture the many diverse cultures he was visiting.
The powerful experiences and impressions with which he returned and the personal artistic approach he had assumed towards the most interesting of environments are described in his engaging book entitled “Listy z cesty kolem světa”
(Letters from my trip around the world). The unique work of art comprising of prints of sketches was published in 1928 by the J. Otto publishing house in Prague.

 

April 28th 1940 was a memorable day for the cultural life of the town of Mšeno. A Professor with the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, our beloved T.F.Šimon, was showing his collection of etchings in the local gymnasium. J. Cinibulk took the floor to introduce the exhibition and to welcome the artist in the name of the town, as well as give a comprehensive explication of the master’s artistic influence relevant not only in our country but in the whole world to the crowds gathered to see the etchings on display.

In respect to the intimate relation the painter has with Mšeno, Cinibulk also added that Mšeno prides itself in calling the artist its beloved dweller – since he had spent his youth there, from there he had taken off to study painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague only to return to his parents in Mšeno upon finishing his studies at the academy, so he could later on go on a study trip to Dalmatia and Italy, which were at the start of his successful career reaching far abroad.

Master Šimon then gave the many interested a speech on the various techniques of etching and woodcut. He also stayed late, engaged in a friendly discussion with his acquaintances, on the premises of the exhibition area.

The secretary has informed us that together with headmaster Cinibulk they submitted a request with master Šimon during his stay in Mšeno, whether he would produce a promotional poster of the town, to which he willingly agreed. Due to the unsettled times and publishing difficulties, this matter was – unfortunately – postponed indefinitely.


The family Šimon lived in Karlova street 138, his father Antonín died in Mšeno in 1912.
Antonín Šimon was burried in Olšanských hřbitovech in Prague.

 

 Source: in publishing of the Romanov Association (1934,1944).


Note, October 2012: Antonin
Šimon (1835-1912) was married twice. His second wife was called Rozalie Šimon (*1843). Unfortunately we do not know yet het maiden name. According to documentation (Regional Archive Melnik) Antonin came to live in her house on Velke Namesti 279 (later called Riegrova Namesti) in 1899 where he lived untill his death in 1912.


 


Envelop (1942) of a letter sent by T. F. Šimon
to J. Cinibulk (headmaster of M
šeno).
 


 

 J. Cinibulk

Postcard sent by T.F. Šimon to
 J. Cinibulk (headmaster of Mšeno).
 

 

 

 

The information from Martin Mach, mayor (2008) of the town Mšeno in the Czech language:
 

Mistr T.F.Šimon (nar. Tavik František Šimon 1877), profesor malířské akademie pražské, grafik světového jména, prožil ve Mšeně své dětství a jinošský věk. Napsal o něm: „Mšeno vybavuje v mysli mé mnoho vzpomínek na nejkrásnější úsek mého života – probouzejícího se mládí, jinošských snů, tužeb a ideálů, jež vyrůstaly v prostředí a kraji přímo stvořeném pro citlivou duši uměleckou.“ Jinde opět: „Cítím odůvodněnou příchylnost k Vašemu městu, jako někdejší jeho občan, který se snad až příliš toulal po světě, ale který vždy rád vzpomíná na místo, jeho romantické okolí a jeho přátele, kde prožil jsem své radostné mládí.“ V letech 1926 a 1927 podnikl jako umělec–výtvarník cestu kolem světa. Bohaté a mocné dojmy z ní a osobní umělecký vztah svůj k novému a nejvýš zajímavému prostředí uložil v poutavé knize: „Listy z cesty kolem světa“. Ojedinělé umělecké toto dílo s reprodukcemi autorových kreseb vydalo r. 1928 nakladatelství J. Otto v Praze.

 

28.dubna 1940 dostalo se Mšenu krásného kulturního přínosu. Vystavoval v tělocvičně milý náš profesor malířské akademie T.F.Šimon soubor svých leptů. Úvodní slovo k výstavě měl J. Cinibulk, který mistra jménem města uvítal a shromážděným význam Šimonův pro české i světové umění naznačiti se pokusil. V intimním vztahu Mšena k velkému umělci uvedl, že Mšeno zove jej s radostí svým  - neboť prožil v něm mladá svá léta, od nás šel na pražskou malířskou akademii – k nám se vracel po jejím absolvování k svým drahým rodičům a odtud rozběhl se na studijní cestu svou do Dalmácie a Italie, jež byla počátkem uměleckého jeho vzestupu v mistra slaveného i daleko za hranicemi rodné země.

Mistr Šimon přednesl potom četným, pozorně poslouchajícím přednášku, ve které vylíčil postup všech technik leptových i dřevorytu a v přátelském rozhovoru při své noblesní dobrotě a srdečnosti setrval se svými známými ve výstavní síni.

Jednatel referuje, že s ředitelem Cinibulkem přednesli ve Mšeně přítomnému mistru T.F.Šimonovi prosbu, aby vlastní rukou vytvořil pro Mšeno propagační plakát. Mistr s příkladnou ochotou svou slíbil tak učiniti. Vzhledem k pohnuté době a nesnadnostem tiskovým byla věc ta – pohříchu – na neurčito odsunuta.

 

Rodiče T.F. Šimona žili v čp. 138 v Karlově ulici, jeho otec Antonín zemřel ve Mšeně v roce 1912.
Pohřben je však na Olšanských hřbitovech v Praze.

 

Pramen: publikace Spolku Romanov (1934, 1944)
Information about the town
Mšeno:
http://www.mestomseno.cz

 

Antonín Šimon
 




 
Antonín Šimon (*Rovensko 30-02-1835  - Mšeno 1912).
House 85, Železnice
Karlova
Street 138, Mšeno.
Velke Namesti 279 (later called Riegrova Namesti), Mšeno.
It is not known in what year Antonin
Šimon moved to Mšeno.
The family first migrated November 1, 1883 from
Železnice to Matrovic near Bousov, Nymburk, Obristvi and finally to Mšeno.
Antonin was a miller by profession and dealer in groats. He was m
arried to Anna Tavikova and they had 7 children, all born in Železnice:

1.) Maria Šimon (*10-05-1863_†1941?);
2.) Anna Katerina
Šimon (*03-02-1865-1908);
She lived in Bosnia and was married to a forester.
3.) Antonin Franti
šek Šimon (*01-01-1867-?);
Emigrated to the U.S.A.
4.)
Julie Antonie Šimon (*11-04-1869 _ †12-05-1869);
5.)
RůŽena Šimon (*12-03-1872_†28-04-1872);
6.) Robert Antonin Šimon (*01-06-1875
_†11-04-1943);
Czech jounalist and photographer.
7.)
František Jan Šimon (*13-05-1877_†19-12-1942).
When T.F. Šimon lived in France (1904-1914) František Jan called himself Tavik František Šimon.
 

See for their birthbooks and more genealogical information:
www.tfsimon.com /Šimon-tavik.htm

T
he children were for the second time baptised in the Catholic faith in Železnice
 

Antonin


Anna Tavik
 

Oil painting



T.F. Šimon: "Portrait of my Father", 1910.
Pencil and white paint on paper.
Monogram TFS and dated 1910. "Podobizna meho Otce."
Also signed in pencil on the reverse T F Šimon. 19 x 16,5 cm.


 

T.F. Šimon: "Selfportrait". Mixed-media on grey paper.
Signed TFS, dated 1911. 20 x 25 cm.



Impressions of
Mšeno
(Still in progress)
click in the pictures to enlarge
 
 Mšeno, early 20th century

 
Train-station of Mšeno
 
Mšeno 2012
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mšeno
 
 
 
 
 
Mueum
 
 
 
In this building Simon's (basic) school was located
 
The artist lived in this street. The houses have changed in the years.
 
The artist lived in this street. The houses have changed in the years.
 
 
 
The Art-school for children
 
 
 
School built in 1928. Exhibition of Simon's artworks in 1940.
 
School built in 1928. Exhibition of Simon's artworks in 1940.
2010
 
 
 
 
 


www.tfsimon.com