The artist’s childhood is shrouded in mystery. She even claimed that she never had a family. Her life is described in documents only from adolescence.
1902 - 1980
Marie Toyen (Maria Cerminova)
description
A Czech artist, a painter, lithographer, graphic artist, book illustration master. Maria Cherminova, the brightest and most significant representative of poeticism and surrealism in the Czech Republic, took the pseudonym Toyen at an early age. Its origins can be interpreted as from the French “Citoyen” – a citizen, and from the Czech phrase, meaning, “this is he”. In both cases, the new name did not give her gender identity. Maria, who tried to break down stereotypes, became a cult figure both in the Czech Republic and in Paris, where she was supported, in particular, by Andre Breton, a leading figure of Surrealism.
Toyen was an original and self-sufficient creator. She perceived Surrealism as a driving force of imagination, as well as of the social and political progress. The artist became one of the organisers of the Surrealistic community in Prague. Many of her paintings from the second half of the 1930s also had strong political and anti-war meaning.
Hostile to bourgeois conformism, Toyen challenged values based on totalitarianism. The artist left Prague after the Nazi occupation considering the communist regime imposed on the country unacceptable for the creator.
In Paris, she participated in the activities of the surrealist group of A. Breton. Although the life and work of Toyen made a great contribution to the development of feminist art, she herself never entered into discussions, did not speak openly about feminism or about her sexual orientation. Nevertheless, experts consider her a pioneer of free female art.
Key ideas:
– Noting 3 main periods of the 60-year (1920-1980) art career of Marie Toyen, art historians claim that she shifted her style from primitivism, purism and artificiality (Czech poetry) to surrealism with its distinctive “face”.
– Together with her friend, husband and colleague Jindrich Styrsky, Maria Cerminova supposed that the «artifical» painting distracts a viewer from the vicious circle of his ordinary realities and thereby destroys the system of trivial established images.
– Prague’s surrealism is based on poetry, invented by artists of the “Devetsil” Association in 1920s, which included both Toyen and Styrsky from 1923. The art of Maria matches the characteristics of this branch of avant-garde art: “a mixture of revolutionary emanation, passive-romantic sleepwalking and spiritualism.”
– Maria avoided the usual role given to women in art – the muse, model or object of worship and desire. Surrealism gave her art the undeniable value of a passionate denier of relations in bourgeois society, always ready to censor the social or intimate life of the creator. Toyen’s works often have unstable motives, sometimes with hints at lesbian desires. Interestingly, male figures are missing in the plots; instead there is a hint at phallic symbols or their unequivocal presence alongside realistic female figures.
– Gradually, threatening forms appear in the artist’s works, reflecting the difficult political situation in Europe at that time. Forced to hide from the authorities as the author of works called degenerative art, Toyen was obsessed with the theme of war.
1902
1919
1922
1923
1925
1931
1934
1935
1937
1947
1957
1966
1980
The artist's childhood is shrouded in mystery
The 17-year old entered the School of Applied Arts in Prague
The 17-year old entered the School of Applied Arts in Prague, where she was a student of professor E. Dite, showed her talent and her rebellious character.
Met artist Jindřich Štyrský
Met artist, writer and photographer Jindřich Štyrský, who became her regular partner, soul mate and life partner. He greatly influenced the creative life of Marie. Denying her traditional “female” role in society, she adopted the neutral pseudonym Toyen.
Became a member of the progressive Prague association "Devetsil"
Became a member of the progressive Prague association of artists and writers “Devetsil”, which later gradually transformed into the Czech Surrealist movement.
The creative tandem of Toyen and Štyrský moved to Paris
The creative tandem of Toyen and Štyrský moved to Paris, where they tried to found and organize their branch in Surrealism – «Artificialism», which had its origins in Czech poetry. The style was distinguished by innovative painting methods – dripping or spraying paint through grids or stencils.
Toyen helped Štyrský to develop the "Edition 69"
Returning to Bohemia, Toyen helped Štyrský to develop the “Edition 69”, creating many vulgar paintings; some of them are still considered pornographic.
She participated in the foundation of the Surrealist group
She participated (together with K. Teige, V. Nezval and J. Štyrský) in the foundation and work of the Surrealist group in Czechoslovakia. They closely collaborated with the French group formed by A. Breton.
The first exhibition of the surrealist group was held in Czechoslovakia
The first exhibition of the surrealist group was held in Czechoslovakia. J. Štyrský, Toyen and V. Makovsky presented their paintings there. The catalogue of the exhibition was prepared by K. Teige and V. Nezval. Nezval also developed a surrealistic interpretation of individual paintings, including Toyen’s “Magnetic Woman”. The exhibition was visited by special guests from France – Andre Breton and his wife, and Paul Eluard.
The artist’s paintings were called degenerative art
The artist’s paintings were called degenerative art; she had to live semi-legally in her country. The period of Second World War as a whole was tragic for Toyen – Surrealism was persecuted and her closest friend and comrade Štyrský died in 1942.
Finally settled in Paris
Finally settled in Paris, managing to move to France before the establishment of the communist regime in Czech Republic. She became a member of the French Surrealist community almost immediately together with J. Heisler, a French poet and artist, whom she hid from the Nazis, risking her life in Prague.
“Prague and the seven swords”
As a result of her appeal to magical realism, the artist created the significant cycle, “Prague and the seven swords”, dedicated to her homeland, which she had to live far from. She participated in all the major exhibitions of the Surrealists and achieved great recognition.
The artist gradually became more and more lonely
The death of A. Breton became a significant loss for the artist. Shortly after his demise, the Paris surrealist association ceased to exist. The artist gradually became more and more lonely. Toyen called herself a Surrealist even after the movement was disbanded in 1969 and until her death in 1980.
The death of the artist
Marie Toyen died on November 9, 1980 in Paris, France.