The Return of Štefan Schwartz

In 2005 the Slovak National Gallery acquired an unusual gift, the artistic bequest of the painter Štefan Schwartz, which consists of 800 works, including paintings, drawings and prints.
Štefan Schwartz is one of the leading figures of Slovak modern art, a representative of the generation that entered the art scene in the memorable sixties.

Although he worked independently, his early work corresponded with the emergence of the artists associated with the Bratislava Confrontations (1961-1964) and abstract art in the Slovak environment. Schwartz's abstract paintings ranged from lyrical abstraction and its structural registers to imprints and frottage works of concrete reality - canal covers, pavement and signboards. After the Soviet invasion in 1968, he emigrated to Switzerland and his work remained almost unknown to Slovakia.
By accepting the present, the Slovak National Gallery has pledged to acquaint the Slovak viewers with a part of work of this artist and remember the person whose difficult life was closely associated with Slovakia's modern history. Apart from exhibiting the donated gift, the project will include the launch of the artist's monograph which was written in cooperation with PhDr. Eva Šefčáková.