100 František Mertl * 1930 Untitled

František Mertl (born 1930), a Czech painter, graduated from the Brno Secondary School of Applied Arts and continued his studies in the 1950s at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. There, he was part of the circle of artists who would later form the "Šmidrové group" (including Karel Nepraš, Jan Koblasa, Bedřich Dlouhý, and many others). In 1958, Mertl emigrated and settled in Southern France, where he successfully established himself on the international art scene, working solely under the name **Franta**.

In the 1950s, his drawing and painting work positioned him among the leading figures of New Figuration*, capturing existential and oppressive themes of the era through exposed and distorted human bodies. Mertl's paintings depict parts of the human body with almost anatomical precision, yet they are also distinctly expressive and gestural. In a later period, the artist turned against consumer society and the excessive production of consumer goods and waste. He also explored themes inspired by his regular stays in Africa and the Black community in New York. He exhibits regularly and has been featured in many significant international surveys and exhibitions.