Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 18. (Budapest, 1999)

Magdolna LICHNER: Data on Gyula Benczúr's Collection of Textiles

NOTES ' For unsigned reports on the exhibition see Magyar Iparművészet (hereafter: MI), 1925, p. 191 and MI, 1926, p. 46 2 Exhibition of Béla Procopius's material deposited in March 1923, Record of Deposits, Entries 497-533, Museum of Applied Arts (hereafter: MAA) Archives. In 1927 there was another exhibition of the bequest. For this exhibition of the Procopius collection see MI, XXX, 1927, pp. 191-3. Likewise there was an exhibition of the Lajos Ernst deposits in 1923, followed by an exhibition of the Hungarianrelated pieces in the Ernst collection in 1926: Record of Deposits, Entries 430491, MAA Archives and MI, XXIX, 1926, p. 121f and MAA Archive 273/1927. In 1924 a coin, medallion and plaquette exhibition was put on by collectors and artists in Budapest, as was an exhibition of old Oriental carpets by the Society of Hungarian Carpet Enthusiasts. In 1926 a tapestry exhibition was staged from pieces owned by private collectors, and in 1927 an exhibition of old silver. See MI, XVII, 1924, p. 91f.; MI, XXVm, 1925, p. 77; Magyar Művészet, H, 1926, pp. 397-412; MI, XXX, 1927, p. 94, etc. 3 For the correspondence with the Benczúr heirs (Gyula Benczúr the Younger and Mrs. Jenő Ürmössy, née Elza Benczúr) relating to the purchase; the list of artefacts selected, their prices and the total amount payable (110,711,666 crowns); and the invoice; see MAA Archives 24/1926 and 89/1926 4 The final list featured forty-one entries - that is, forty-seven artefacts. See the Appendix with corresponding Museum inventory numbers. For the criteria on which the selection was made see MI, 1926, p. 46. 5 For Ida Benczúr's remarks on The Recapture of Buda Castle see the Hungarian National Gallery (hereafter: HNG) Archives 6078/1954. 6 Ida Benczúr made notes on the polychrome sketches in oils made for The Recapture of Buda Castle (see Note 5) - e.g., "Bugler, half-length portrait; Gábor Tüzes (after the actor Gyenes), head; Endre Koháry, head (property of Dr. Taus); Hungarian with a bandaged head, head," etc. In the "Gyula Benczúr and His Pupils" exhibition in 1921 there were many studies and sketches by the artist for the great historical compositions: Cat 14, 23, and 254-261, Cat. 272 and 277, also 284-436 (op. cit., see Note 12, Mihalik 1944). A good number of these - works of graphic art and sketches for paintings — were on show at the 1958 commemorative exhibition held at the Hungarian National Gallery, e.g., Cat 9, 18, 2-25, 31, 32, 36, 39, 40, 42, 423, 49, 95, 96, etc. 7 Although in the Archives of the Hungarian National Gallery numerous letters, documents and written reminiscences are to be found within the legacies of Ida Benczúr and Dr. Gyula Benczúr, on the unsold pieces of the colection I have not found further data. In 1928, at the auction held in the Ernst Museum, Budapest, objects from the Benczúr collection were listened, however on the basis of the catalogue descriptions the each pieces could not be identified and we have no knowledge about the persons of the purchasers either. Cf.: Az Ernst Múzeum Aukciói XXXTX. 1928. Ezüstgyűjtemény főúri birtokból, Benczúr Gyula és Keszler József hagyatékából, valamint főúri és más magánbirtokból származó festmények, műtárgyak és bútorok. (Catalogue of the Auction organized by the Ernst Museum, Nr. XXXIX, Budapest, 1928) 8 Hungarian National Gallery Archives 6077/1954. (Perhaps this motto is a recasting and reinterpretation of St. Benedict's "Ora et labora"; it recalls an idea repeatedly proclaimed by Luther.) 9 "Gyula Benczúr's mother - Pauline Lassgallner - was the daughter of a well-to-do merchant. The Lassgallners had emigrated from Holland to the Szepesség region of Upper Hungary during the reign of Maria Theresa. Many members of the family showed an interest in learning..." Homér, Lajos: Benczúr Gyula. Budapest, 1938, p. 5, note 4 ("Studies by the Institute for Art History and Christian Era Archaeology of the Péter Pázmány Royal University of Sciences, Budapest" series). The Information comes from Dr. Gyula Benczúr, the artist's son. See also Zoltán Felvinczi Takács's introduction in the guide to the "Gyula Benczúr and His Pupils" exhibition of 1921, p. 4ff, note 12, where he mentions that Gyula Benczúr's grandfather and great-grandfather were both Lutheran pastors in Upper Hungary.