Jitka Brůnová – Lachman, a native of Olomouc, is an extraordinary individual who excels in mathematical sciences, including quantum physics, where she is among the leading international figures. The outdated notion that people with a love for mathematics are dry and uncommunicative is completely refuted by this socially engaged woman with a sense of humor, who enjoys literature, classical music, and visual arts. She herself is a talented visual artist and exhibits her works both at home and abroad, including in the United States. Furthermore, she expresses herself eloquently and cultivately in writing, as evidenced by her extensive autobiographical book and her poetry, which she also enjoys creating.

Meet Jitka

The biography and professional and artistic activities of Mrs. Brůnová would fill a novel. We must settle for a brief curriculum vitae.
Dr. Jitka Brůnová-Lachmann is a mathematician, physicist, poet, and painter. She was born in 1944 in Prostějov and lives and works in Olomouc. She is a graduate of the Faculty of Science at Palacký University and a member of the Czech Mathematical and Physical Society, where she has been a long-standing member of the executive board. She regularly participates in international scientific conferences in the Czech Republic and abroad, and regularly exhibits her paintings, related to the topic at hand, at these exceptional events. Jitka Brůnová's paintings have been featured in a publication by SPIE (The International Society for Optics and Photonics in the USA). It is noteworthy that she paints portraits for selected Nobel Prize laureates. Dr. Brůhová collaborates with prominent scientists and artists, and is friends with many of them. In 2024, she received the prestigious Kalos Agathos award, which is given for exceptional achievements and contributions in the field of ethics, moral values, and the common good.

Painting: A Tribute to Einstein

Two hundred pages, thirteen chapters with photo documentation, and numerous illustrations by the author

After the introductory words of the book's editor, Milan Švihálek, who is on the same wavelength as Jitka Brůnová-Lachman, the text begins, full of memories, events, and experiences, as time and the author's life, with its Celtic roots, unfolded, as she writes in the first line of the first chapter, "Monogram in the Bark." The first written mentions of her ancestors date back to 1766. And so begins the story of a long, eighty-year journey, starting with a little girl, and then... but let's not get ahead of ourselves. This richly detailed text, full of events and characters, is certainly not boring. Each page of the long list of chapters is very readable. In addition, it is accompanied by period photos from the family album.

The third chapter begins with leaving home, starting high school, and then going on to university, where she excelled in the national university competition SVOĆ in Prague, which seemed to shape the future interests and professional development of Jitka Brůnová.
The narrative becomes increasingly interesting, even for readers who are not experts in the subject. Those who are familiar with Jitka Brůnová's work and life will truly appreciate it, and often laugh. We could continue in this vein throughout the entire book. However, it is certain that the text gains depth and complexity, especially in the passages dedicated to her love of painting and her own artistic creations, including her exhibitions, and her memories of the people around her. One particularly remarkable memory is of the poet Jan Skácel, who enriched Jitka Brůnová's understanding of beauty and poetry – and that is why each chapter of the book is introduced with Jitka's own beautiful verses.

The Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists

“I have been a member of the Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists since 1976. My membership number is 3683. I received an honorary recognition in 1987. Since 1993, I have been an honorary member of this organization…” Jitka Brůnová tells her readers at the beginning of the tenth chapter of her autobiography, "Silent Echoes of Light," thus introducing them to the fascinating, albeit mysterious to the uninitiated, world of a specific scientific field. The subsequent recollections of events and personalities are even more intriguing, especially when the author reveals her vulnerabilities. Equally interesting is the description of her personal achievements and her first experiences abroad. The doors to the world were wide open for Jitka Brůnová, and she has diligently used this opportunity for both work and personal travel throughout the country. At the end of the book, the author returns to her painting, commenting on many of her works in a philosophical way. Many art historians could learn from this, and many curators could learn from Brůnová's insightful and eloquent commentary on the works she exhibits.

In her book, Jitka Brunová Lachman also remembers the legendary professor of art and critic František Dvořák.

The thirteenth chapter of the book is symbolically dedicated to thirteen individuals who influenced Jitka Brůnová. Here are a few names:
The writer Jarmila Loukotová, Doc. Ing. Štefan Zajac, CSc., chairman of the Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists, Prof. Antonín Schindler, Dr.h.c, composer, organist, and promoter of spiritual music, Prof. PhDr. František Dvořák, DrSc, art historian, critic, and educator, or Prof. RNDr. Jan Peřina, DrSc, quantum physicist, optics expert, and mathematician. The book was published with the kind support of the Prostejov-based Hanácké železárny a pérovny corporation. Curious readers will surely point out that not everything about her has been said. This is due to the limitations of the editorial scope, not the author's unwillingness. We will learn more in an upcoming interview with Jitka Brůnová-Lachman, in connection with her new exhibition in Příboř in May (Reason and Emotion. Ad honorem Sigmund Freud, May 15, 2006). This exhibition will take place at the Piarist Monastery, as part of the celebrations of the 170th anniversary of the birth of the world-renowned psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, a native of the region. Dr. Jitka Brůnová Lachman will exhibit her paintings alongside Prof. Ivo Bartečka. We will inform readers in advance about the opening of the exhibition.

Ivan Černý

[Image of a painting] Caption: The first "mathematical" painting from 2001, titled "Evanescent Waves."