Abstract
The article focuses on J. K.
Huysmans and his influence upon Czech art criticism. The life and oeuvre of Huysmans is usually divided into three periods.
He came to fame as a naturalist writer, than he inclined towards decadence and lastly, he became devoted catholic. However, when regarding Huysmans's art criticism, we cannot accept this categorical and periodical sequencing because there is many themes that can be found throughout his whole critical writing.
Huysmans inspired variety of different Czech art groups which frequently disputed among themselves. Many Czech art journals approached Huysmans's art criticism very selectively and tended to involve some categories mentioned above into it.
The circle of writers and artists of Moderní revue perceived Huysmans as decadent and their interests were concentrated on texts like À rebours or Certains. The journal Volné směry was inspired mostly by Huysmans's naturalistic period and presented the French critic as a defender of impressionism.
The catholic platform Nový život praised Huysmans for his conversion to Catholicism, but the impact of his critical ideas was only marginal. Through his essays, Huysmans introduced artists, hitherto unknown in the Czech lands like Odilon Redon, Jan Luyken or Matthias Grünewald, and helped popularize others.
His commentary to works of Félicien Rops was one of the most influential foreign interpretations of this artist.