FEIGL, BEDRICH

FEIGL, BEDRICH (Friedrich; 1884–1966), Czech painter and graphic artist. In 1907, he was a founder of the Osma group   ("The Eight") which, with Emil Filla as its leading personality, marked the break of Czech art with traditional classicism. This break profoundly influenced modern Czech painting. Feigl created the best work of his expressionistic period with his landscapes of Copenhagen, Berlin, and the fishing villages on the French Riviera. He is, however, best known for his sketches of Prague ghetto life. Feigl also did book illustrations (H. Politzer, ed., Sippurim, 1937). After escaping from Nazi-occupied Prague, Feigl spent World War II in London. Here, he prepared the plates for the first Czechoslovak post-war banknotes. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: G. Marzynski, Friedrich Feigl (Ger., 1921); Příruční slovník naučný, 1 (1962), 711. (Avigdor Dagan)