Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 20. (Budapest, 2001)
Hilda HORVÁTH: Walter Crane's Wallpaper in the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts
ry - was provided by the so-called Peacock Room by Whistler, who closely followed Morris's decorative activity. Peacocks appear in many wallpapers by Crane, in varied and rich compositions. His wallcoverings are covered by floral decoration, idealized figures and symbols. When, in a lecture given in the Museum in January 1906, the celebrated Hungarian art historian Károly Lyka mentioned that "what we see is an attempt at the ample filling of space", 25 he may have been speaking of the wallpaper; in any case, his words are pertinent. In line with the English custom, the wallpaper is crowned by a broad frieze, ensuring a kind of transition between the wallpaper and the ceiling. The covering of one of the halls of the Museum with this decorative wallpaper, which also symbolized the endeavours of the period, would have given a stunning effect when combined with the colourful, ornamental painting on the building's interior walls at this time. At the same time, it fitted in with the strong English orientation characterizing the life of the Museum at the turn of the century, an orientation which was one of the main pillars of the Museum's life. All this manifested itself in the shaping of the image and organization of the Museum; before the drawing up of the Museum's rules of operation, the structure and organizational system of British museums were studied. From 1886 the Museum even had an official British representative, in the person of Herbert Minton Cundall, 26 who played an important role in the Museum's purchase of cotton velvet fabrics from William Morris in 1895. 27 British firms were commissioned to make interior fittings for the Museum building. Maple of London delivered the linoleum, 28 and Chubb and Sons the locks and bolts. 29 The Museum's gong and gong-stick were made by Liberty and Co. (the wrought-iron stand for these was designed by Frigyes Spiegel and executed by Gyula Jungfer; both artists were well known in Budapest). 30 The Museum's interest in British art found reflection in its exhibition policy during the first decade of the twentieth century: in 1902 it organized an exhibition of British applied art, and in 1907 it put on a Beardsley exhibition. Moreover, its lectures for the general public often dealt with British art. 31 Nor was the connection with Walter Crane broken after 1900; works by the artist featured in subsequent exhibitions in the Museum: in 1903, at the first Hungarian exhibition of bookplates, and in 1906, at the exhibition put on by the League for the Protection of Children. Together with other distinguished personalities, Crane took part in the preparations for the 1902 British Applied Arts Exhibition. In 1902 he served with Jenő Radisics on the jury of the international art exhibition held in Turin, a memento of which is the artist's kind sketch of the director. 32
