Vojtěch Preissig

Vojtěch Preissig was born on July 31, 1873, in Světec. Twenty-four years later, he moved to Paris and worked for two years with the Czech Art Nouveau artist, Alphonse Mucha. His early work was influenced by Japanese art and Symbolism. He returned to Prague in 1903, where he founded the periodical Česká grafika ("Czech Graphics"). In 1909, he published the book Barevný lept a barevná rytina ("Color Etchings and Color Engravings") and opened his own graphics studio in 1905. Unfortunately, the graphics studio was not a financial success, so he moved to the United States in 1910 and worked as an art instructor. Then in 1912, he taught at Columbia University and the Art Students League of New York. By 1916 he moved to Boston and taught a course in graphic arts for the Wentworth Institute. He became the director of the School of Printing and Graphic Arts until 1926. During his time with the Wentworth Institute, he designed recruitment posters for the United States armed forces of World War I, which were principally aimed at Czech immigrants. Preissig remained in the United States until 1930.