Josef Váchal (1884–1969) was a Czech writer, painter, printmaker and book-printer. He was brought up in the southern Bohemian town of Písek. In 1898 Váchal moved to Prague, where he studied bookbinding and befriended his father's cousin, the painter Mikoláš Aleš. He was influenced by Art Nouveau during that time. He went on to become a respected painter and graphic designer. He was also deeply involved in occultism and esoteric studies. In his later years, the eccentric artist lived in poor conditions in the village of Studeňany, where he died in 1969. Váchal has been described as 'one of the most original Czech artists and thinkers of the 20th century'.
