Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 20. (Budapest, 2001)

Zsuzsa GONDA: Walter Crane's Visit to Budapest in the Context of Museums' Acquisitions

NOTES / would like to thank Alan Crawford for reading and improving the text. 1 The transcript of Ferenc Tóth Kortárs művek vásárlása az épülő Szépművészeti Múzeum számára" [The Acquisition of Contemporary Works for the Museum of Fine Arts While under Construction], a lecture held at the conference Durability and Change (Ráckeve, 11-13 October 2000). For the evaluation of the purchases made by the Association, see Ferenc Tóth "A külföldi művészet jelenléte és pártolása az Országos Magyar Képzőművészeti Társulat kiállításain," [The Presence and Patronage of Foreign Art at the Exhibitions of the Hungarian National Fine Arts Association]. Kat: Aranyérmek, ezüstkoszorúk, Magyar Nemzeti Galéria [Gold Coins, Silver Wraiths, Hungarian National Gallery: Catalogue] (Budapest, 1995), pp. 117-122. 2 Walter Crane's reception in Hungary has recently been discussed in articles by Katalin Geller and by Paul Stirton and Luliet Kinchin. Britain and Hungary: Contacts in Architecture and Design during the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century: Essays and Studies, ed. Gyula Ernyey (Budapest, 1999), pp. 17-29 and 31-35. In connection with the 1900 exhibition and to fill out the above, see Elemér Czakó "A könyvdíszítés nagymestere - W. Crane," [The Past Master of Book Ornamentation: W. Crane] Grafikai Szemle 10(1900), pp. 135137; Elemér Czakó "W. Crane," Magyar Szalon 19(1900), pp. 36,290. László Éber "W. Crane" Új Magyar Szemle 10(1900), p. 377; Károly Lyka "W. Crane Budapesten," [W. C in Budapest] Budapesti Napló 14 October 1900; Károly Lyka "W. Crane" Urania 1 (1900), p. 120; Ede Thoroezkai Wigand "W. Crane,"

Építőipar 24 (1900), p. 263; N.N. "W. Crane.'M Hét 11 (1900), pp. 645-647. I Sydney Carton, Emlékek, (Budapest, 1904) (without pagination; Rozsnyay's nom du plume was Sydney Carton). 4 L. F. Day "Walter Crane - A Hungarian Appreciation," Art.

tournai (New Series) (1901), pp. 79-82. 5 Walter Crane, An Artist's Reminiscences (London, 1907), pp. 469-478. 6 The cartoon had appeared earlier in the contemporary English press as the illustration for Day's article in the Art Journal (cf. n. 4). 7 The Register of Walter Crane's Works. The Exhibition of the National Museum of Applied Arts and the Hungarian Applied Arts Association (Budapest, 1900; hereafter The Crane Register. 1900). 8 Letter by Walter Crane to Kálmán Rozsnyay, 2 December 1900. Manuscript archives of the OSZK (Országos Széchényi Könyvtár; National Széchényi Library). 9 The Crane Register, 1900, No. 245. Triumph of Labour. Woodcut. The master's gift to the Museum of Applied Arts; autographed by the master. 10 Purchases made by the museum were authorised by the Minister of Religion, Education and Culture in decree No. 79872 of 16 November 1900. Cf. Archives of the Museum of Applied Arts 1900/501. Acknowledgements are due to Hilda Horváth for letting me know of the document. II The Little Pig's Picture Book, 1869-70, The Fairy Ship, cca. 1870, The Sleeping Beauty, 1880-82, On the Morning of Christ's Nativity, the 1880s. For the works in the possession of the Museum of Applied Arts see Judith Koos "Walter Crane and Hungary," Ars Decorativa 1 (1973), pp. 158-167; Hilda Horváth "Láthatatlan műtárgy: Walter Crane falikárpitja a budapesti Iparművészeti Múzeumban," [The Invisible Artwork: A Tapestry by Walter Crane in the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts] Művészettörténeti Értesítő 44 (1995), pp. 291-295. 12 Károly Lyka "W. Crane" Műcsarnok 3 (1990), p. 338. 13 The Exhibition of Modern Prints, National Picture Gallery, Budapest, 1898, No. 136; Inv. No. 1897-100, acquired from the dealership Dietrich & Co. 14 "A magyar kormány művásárlása Berlinben," [Art purchase by the government of Hungary in Berlin] Műcsarnok 2 (24 Dec 1899). It was at the Berlin auction (Berlin, Lepke Auction, 5 Dec 1899) that Térey procured the Sermon on the Mount and Man with a Jar, paintings by Uhde and Leibi respectively. Acknowledgements for information on the acquisitions are due to Ferenc Tóth. 13 The Bridge of Life, 1884, Europa, 1881, Truth and the Traveller, 1880, England's Emblem, 1895. 16 Crane op. cit. (n. 5), p. 431. 17 The Crane Register, 1900, No. 132 (480 crowns) and No. 110 (432 crowns). The acquisitions in the register, which contains works with identical titles, are made unequivocal by the annotated copy kept in the Museum of Fine Arts marking the acquisitions (its classification number is Budapest 22/1 la). 18 The Sherwood Forest, watercolour, 271 x 367 mm, Inv. No. 1900-909. 19 On the influences on Crane's style, in connection with a drawing related to the piece in Budapest, see Kat. Viktorianische Malerei. Von Turner bis Whistler, Hrsg. von Robin Hamlyn et al., Neue Pinakothek, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen. (Munich, 1993) No. 83. W. Crane, Diana, 1881. 20 Penpoll Bay in Cornwall, watercolour, 354 x 254 mm, Inv. No. 1900-908. 21 The Crane Register, 1900, No. 9, watercolour, bodycolour, 1155 x 605 mm, Inv. No. 1900-907. The work was listed under the wrong title; what is represented here is the scene in which Jesus "saith unto him, Feed my lambs." (John 21.17) 22 The Crane Register, 1900, No. 280., watercolour, bodycolour, 347 mm by 655 mm, Inv. No. 1900-910. 23 Cat. Walter Crane 1845-1915: Artist, Designer, and Socialist, ed. Greg Smith and Sarah Hyde, The Whitworth Art Gallery (Manchester, 1989), p. 22, 143, K7. 24 The Crane Register, 1900, No. 14. 25 János Peregriny, Az Országos Magyar Szépművészeti Múzeum állagai 11/2. A Nemzeti Múzeum Képtárának festményei és grafikai állaga [The collections of the National Hungarian Museum of Fine Arts II/2. The paintings and graphic art collection of the Picture Gallery of the National Museum] (Budapest, 1909), p. 747, No. 2988.