Imre Jakabffy (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 3. (Budapest, 1975)

FERENCZY, László: Traditions and new trends in the Japanese art of the Meiji era

European art. Regarding it with the historian's eye, even more important was the influence of the West spread by the considerable number of Japanese experts and artists returning home. The majority of companions to these exhibitions consisted of leading young people and experts of high education who had an eye for the novelties in the West that would be useful in progressive Japan as well. Many of them started new trends in art and culture. In the western countries the discovery of Japanese art went hand-in-hand with the establishment of big oriental collections. Hungary also took part in the process. To mention but a few examples: among Hungarian painters studying abroad it was perhaps József Rippl Rónai who, studying and working in Paris since 1887, first turned his attention towards Japanese art, as he mentioned it himself in his inauguration speech at the Far Eastern Exhibition in Budapest opened in 1911. He praised the exhibited material because he found the pieces of art suitable to be followed by Hungarian artists through direct information. The collection of Japanese works of art was started around the turn of the century. Francis Hopp, the founder of the Museum hada preference for Japanese art and collected pieces of Japanese arts and crafts from the Meiji and earlier periods himself. Another collector, Count Péter Vay was invited by the; Hungarian Government to buy valuable pieces of art in Japan in the early 20th centur}-. From 1908 on this material was on display in the Budapest Fine Art Museum's „Japanese Room" to be transferred later to the newly opened Hopp Museum. In the Meiji section of the Vay collection the kakemonos and the woodcuts are the most remarkable. The collection and knowledge of Japanese art in Hungary got a remarkable impetus in 1911 by the Japanese Art Exhibition arranged at the Museum of Industrial Arts in Budajjest. This exhibition was initiated by Ödön Várpalotai Palotay who, acting as a ccnsul of Japan in Hungary offered Jenő Radisics, the Director General of the Museum of Industrial Arts the collection of the London exhibition of Japanese art to be presented to the Hungarian public.

4 Jenő Radisics, together with Palotay, travelled to London to see the collection, from which 800 odd objects of art were presented at the Budapest exhibition by 125 exhibitors. The material was completed by 18 further jiieces of art, paintings and sculpture selected by Jenő Radisics himself in London. The material of the exhibition included in addition to the above kinds, new pieces of arts and crafts (ceramics, porcelain, cloisonné enamels, textiles, metalwork, etc.) ; every craft was additionally illustrated by relevant examples of materials and by the presentation of their methods of making. The success of the exhibition was shown not only by the great numbers of visitors, but also by 15—20 per cent of the exhibits having been bought by Budapest collectors, as testified by the files of the Museum of Industrial Arts. Among the buyers apart from the Museum, there were many wellknown collectors (Ferenc Hopp, Dr. Ottó Fettick, Dr. Károly Csányi, V. Ödön Palotay, members of the Hatvány, Zichy, Delmár families etc.). It was Jenő Radisics himself who gave account of the exhibition.

5 He specially directed the attention to the laccpiers. The collection offered as a present by the Japanese Government to Hungary consisted of model works of art students in Tokyo and Kyoto: Kyoto paintings, textiles, Ishikawa lacquers and art documentary material. In return the Budapest Industrial Arts College offered a collection composed upon similar principles to Japan.