František Kupka was born as the oldest of five children in a family of a notary official in Opočno. He spent his youth in Dobruška, near the Orlické hory mountains, where he apprenticed as a saddlemaker, but even then he painted signs and pictures of saints. He showed great artistic talent, and at the urging of a family friend, he was not forced to pursue his craft and was first sent to a vocational school in Jaroměř (1886) and later to the Prague Academy (1887). Here he studied in the studio for historical and religious painting as a student of Professor František Sequens until graduating in 1892, when he went to Vienna. He remained in Vienna until 1895, then was sent as a scholarship recipient to Paris, traveling through Northern Europe. While studying at the École des beaux-arts (School of Fine Arts), he supported himself by painting posters, teaching religion, and even performing as a spiritualist medium (it is worth noting that Kupka was a supporter of Theosophy, Eastern philosophies, and mysticism in general).
Around 1903, he first gained international recognition by publishing satirical drawings in the Parisian magazine L'Assiette au Beurre, for which he contributed from 1901 to 1907 and also created three of his own issues – albums Argent, Náboženství, and Mír. In 1914, he voluntarily went to the front as a member of the Nazdar company and was wounded in the Battle of the Aisne. He was awarded the Legion of Honor and received the rank of captain for his services in the army. He helped organize Czechoslovak legions in France, and after returning to Paris, he founded what was known as the "Czech Colony," of which he later became chairman.
After the war, he was appointed professor at the Prague Academy, where he also lectured in 1920. Later, he continued his teaching activities in Paris, where he taught Czechoslovak scholarship students. Between 1919 and 1938, František Kupka was supported by his friend Jindřich Waldes, a successful Prague businessman who bought his paintings. Throughout his life, Kupka organized many exhibitions and received numerous awards for his works. He spent most of his life in the Parisian suburb of Puteaux, where he died on June 24, 1957. He is buried in Paris at the Père-Lachaise Cemetery, in the columbarium, section 87, niche number 22696.
Jana Černá