At the same time, this holiday also serves to raise awareness of the working and living conditions of coffee growers, and the associated fair trade movement, whose goal is to help (not only) coffee producers achieve sustainable and fair conditions for cultivation and subsequent trade. In 2023, the largest coffee producers in the world were Brazil (39%), Vietnam (17%) and Colombia (7%).
Coffee beans come from the plant called Coffea, the most famous species being Arabica (Coffea arabica; up to 60% of world production) and Robusta (Coffea canephora; up to 40% of world production). Arabica has a milder taste and lower caffeine content, but it is more demanding to grow and process, and for this reason, this type of coffee tends to be more expensive. Robusta is less demanding in this regard, contains more caffeine, but has a bitter, specific taste that may not suit everyone. Its price tends to be significantly lower, which is why it is often used in blends with Arabica.
The history of International Coffee Day is not entirely clear, one of the first recorded celebrations took place in 1983 in Japan. A number of countries around the world celebrate this holiday on their own national date, the most common date being September 29 or October 1, which is also recognized by the International Coffee Organization, which operates under the auspices of the United Nations.
To celebrate the Coffee Day, we have selected a painting with a cafe motif from the gallery collections, the author of which is the painter and graphic artist Vojtěch Tittelbach (30 July 1900, Mutějovice near Rakovník – 16 September 1971, Prague). He first studied at UMPRUM (1919–22) with professor Dítě, then at the Academy of Fine Arts (1922–26) with professor Švabinský. Later, he himself taught at the Academy (from 1950; from 1959–70 as a professor, among his students was, for example, Eva Činčerová, Vysočina region local).
At the beginning of his professional career, he profiled himself more as a draftsman and graphic artist, he turned to painting only in the early 1930s. He was first influenced by contemporary social tendencies, then by German Expressionism. In the spring of 1930, he completed a study stay in Paris with František Kupka, where he became more familiar with cubism, the elements of which have been mixed with poeticism and surrealist motifs in Tittelbach's work since the 1930s.
Jana Jarošová, October 1, 2024
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