Gold one-ounce medal Olbram Zoubek proof numbered

Exactly 100 years have passed since the birth of Olbram Zoubek. To mark the occasion, the Czech Mint is paying tribute to the admired sculptor with gold commemorative medals.

Olbram Zoubek, whose work fundamentally influenced the form of modern figurative sculpture, was one of the most significant Czech sculptors of the 20th century. His characteristic style stemmed from a deep interest in the human figure, which he captured in a simplified, vertically elongated form. Although his sculptures were often massive, the artist managed to imbue them with a specific lightness. The figures appear as archetypes of human destiny—pain, faith, or defiance—and reflect not only individual existence but also broader social events and history… Olbram Zoubek found a significant source of inspiration in ancient art, from which he adopted the ideal of beauty and eternal form, which he then combined with a modern conception of sculptural expression. He often experimented with materials—using bronze, tin, and lead, as well as cement and concrete. The surfaces of his works are rough, sculpturally expressive, and often contrastingly colored. These treatments lend them a spiritual and expressive charge…

The commemorative medal is the work of academic sculptor Michal Vitanovský. The family of Olbram Zoubek, whom he knew personally as a fellow sculptor, specifically requested him for this work. “To create the portrait on the obverse, which corresponds to the younger and more active phase of Olbram Zoubek’s life, I used photographs from the archives of the Kmentová Zoubek Foundation. I chose those that capture an interesting momentary expression and were clearly not taken as formal portraits,” reveals the medal’s creator. The medalist then dedicated the reverse side to a work by Olbram Zoubek—specifically the 1973 sculpture group *Family*, which was inspired by his relationship with the sculptor Eva Kmentová. Michal Vitanovský was captivated by the dynamic movements of the figures as they emerge from the family setting into the surrounding world…

The series includes only 100 pieces numbered on the edge.