Gyergyádesz László, ifj.: „Csavargó”. Mednyánszky László élete és művészete (Kecskemét, 2007)
of the preceding half decade (see The Murderer 1911-1913, cat. 81). On 31st July, 1916 Mednyánszky was lightly wounded on the Italian frontline. The artist’s sister, Mrs. István Czóbel informs us about it based on oral information: ‘László frequently climbed out of the trenches with his back to the enemy he painted our entrenchments with the rocks in the background. The Italian soldiers saw a strange old man with a big gown blown by the wind day after day, who did not care about the danger, and he was drawing silently among the whistling bullets. They called him Santo II, and never shot at him. However, once one of the soldiers levelled his gun at him and he fired. He was lightly wounded on his shoulder. When the other Italian soldiers saw that Santo was hurt they got very angry and beat their comrade. ’ As it can be learnt from this fragment and from contemporary diary entries as well, Mednyánszky wanted to see as many eventful actions and dramas as possible, however, he could only rarely see real battlefield moments. Most frequently he moved together with the supplies, so he could represent topics like the passing war prisoners and trains, entrenchments, prison camps, lining up, etc. (e.g. Prison Camp, Appel, 1914-1918, see on p. 71). Besides all these the natural and architectural motifs can be found in the sketch books, and on the paintings finished on the basis of them (e.g. LANDSCAPE WITH Church in Ruins, 1914-1916, see on p. 64). Mednyánszky died due to an inflammation of the kidney he got in the frontline and several strokes in Vienna on 17th April, 1919. In the unfavourable historical situation his family could not be notified in time, so two days after his death he was buried similarly to Mozart like a beggar. Baron László Mednyánszky was accompanied by only two friends on his last journey in the Zentralfriedhof. Vázlatkönyvi rajz - Álló baka (1914-1916, kát. 29.) Sketch-book drawing - Standing Footsoldier (1914-1916, cat. 29)
