Leo Junek

Leo (Leopold) Junek (25 September 1899 – 13 July 1993) was a Croatian–French painter. He was a founding member of the Group Zemlja (Earth Group), one of the most influential movements in the history of Croatian art. He studied at the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts, and subsequently moved to France, where he spent the rest of his life and was known as Lorris Junec. He is remembered for his sharp, geometric, colourful landscapes inspired by Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Fauvism, and Dada.

Life in Croatia (1899–1925)

1899–1918 Leo Junek was born in Zagreb on 25 September 1899. According to the baptismal register of the parish of St. Mark in Zagreb, his mother was Marija Junek (née Oražem) and his stepfather, Teodor Junek, a grocer with whom he had a difficult relationship. He was baptised by the chaplain Dionizije de Vukovar, in the Old Town parish church, on 2 October 1899.

A well-known rumour concerning his lineage attested that he was the illegitimate son of Hugo Mihalović, fifth son and only priest in the wealthy Mihalović family which originated from Slavonia, and settled in Zagreb in the 19th century. Hugo's brother, Antun Mihalović, served as Ban of Croatia from 29 June 1917 until 20 January 1919. Although he obtained a doctorate from the Gregorian University of Rome, Hugo contented himself with the life of a priest, and dedicated his life to his passion for music. It was not uncommon for the aristocracy to discreetly support their illegitimate descendants, especially if exceptionally gifted. In fact, it was with Junek that Krsto Hegedušić first discussed the group's orientation and mindset. The exhibition received mixed reviews.

In the summer 1925, Junek was granted a French government scholarship,

Junek's painting proved influential to a large number of Croatian artists of the mid 20th century, including: Vera Nikolić Podrinska, Edo Kovačević, Slavko Kopač, Antun Mezdjić, and later, Edo Murtić and Josip Vaništa.

1942–1952 During the Paris Occupation, Junek stayed mostly indoors and didn't paint much. He started journaling, and writing about painting and music, an activity he kept until the end of his life. In 1946, he started painting again. At an exhibition, he befriended Jean René Bazaine, with whom he shared his vision of painting as inextricably indebted to the art of Poussin. Junek left Paris in search of more peaceful scenery, and settled in the quiet neighbourhood of Orsay in 1950. In 1951, he travelled to Chartres to study the cathedral and the famous stained-glass windows, and became passionate about French medieval painters, especially Jean Fouquet.

1974–1993 Between 1974 and 1977, Junek received multiple signs of public interest. The Fonds National d'Art Contemporain (FNAC) bought his large oil on canvas Harmonia Mundi. The Paul Cézanne Museum in Aix-en-Provence requested a second canvas. In 1974, he received French citizenship.

Style Leo Junek's painting ranged from a loose Post-Impressionist, figurative style to a more Fauvist and Cubist approach in his later years. He is remembered for his striking geometric landscapes and urban motifs, depicted with sharply contrasting colours, or large spots of colours within defined outlines. His distinctive style sets him apart from his contemporary artists and painters in French and Croatia.

Junek was a passionate musician, and played the harpsichord.

Collections Junek's work is held in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, and the National Museum in Belgrade.

Solo exhibitions

1925. First Solo Exhibition, Ulrich Salon, Zagreb 1935. Izložba Leona Juneka (Paris), Moderna galerija, Zagreb 1968. Leo Junek, Moderna galerija, Zagreb 1969. Lorris Junec ou la Grâce de peindre, Galerie Pierre Domec, Paris 1972. Lorris Junec, Centre culturel du Marais, Paris 2007. Leo Junek = Lorris Junec: 1899–1993., Galerija Klovićevi dvori, Zagreb