Following his grammar school studies, Foltýn entered a porcelain painting apprenticeship with Augustin Němejc. His studies at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague under Emanuel Dítě were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I. Between 1918 and 1924 he worked in Bratislava, Košice and Carpathian Ruthenia, where he actively engaged in the revival of artistic life. He went on to live and work in Paris, albeit for less than a decade (1924–1934). During his stay he actively participated in the avant-garde movement, becoming a member of several artistic groups including Porza, Cercle et Carré and Abstraction-Création. In 1937 the painter permanently settled in Brno, where he continued to work until his death. František Foltýn is one of the few Czech artists and theoreticians who managed to influence the international development of fine arts during the interwar period.