Vaclav Vytlacil
(1892-1984)
Vaclav Vytlacil was born in New York City in 1892 to Czech parents. He was an influential art educator and painter who was well-known for his abstract works. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Art Students League of New York, the Minneapolis School of Fine Art, and Munich Royal Academy. He also studied under Hans Hofmann, and taught at the Art Students League of New York, Black Mountain College, and the California College of Arts and Crafts. He had a studio and taught art in Sparkill, New York. He was a member of the Society of Independent Artists and the Art Students League. In 1936, Vytlacil co-founded the American Abstract Artists Group, and was an active member of the group for many years. In 1941 he had a studio in Chilmark, on Martha’s Vineyard, where he spent his summers until his death. His works have been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Carnegie Institute, Corcoran Gallery Biennial, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Academy of Design, the Pennsylvania Academy, the Society of Independent Artists, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He died in New York City in 1984.
