Martin Benka: Violin and bow

The Martin Benka exhibition is a joint project of the Slovak National Museum - Museum of History in Bratislava and the Slovak National Museum – Martin Benka Museum in Martin.  The exhibition is dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the birth of the Martin Benka (1888–1971), a prominent painter of Slovak modernity.  It is on view at the SNM - Museum of History in Bratislava Castle until December 2019.

In addition to painting, the artist also devoted himself to graphic design, illustrations, architectural designs, and occasionally designs for smaller utility objects. Benka's great hobby was music. This is evidenced by the fact that in his memoirs he even considered the idea of ​​whether he should have become a musician rather than a painter. He began to play violin at 14. All his life, he pursued this hobby through concerts he organized for friends in his studio where he was part of the string quartet. He also occasionally composed his own works. He modified, designed, and constructed a unique violin, inspired by Slovak folk ornamentation, with elements of cubism. He tried to make the violin have the same acoustic qualities as a classical violin. During his life he made, or modified, 13 violins, one of which is part of the exhibition.

- Monika Váleková

P.S. Musical instruments are depicted in Caravaggio's The Musicians; read about the painting here!