Goda Gertrud: Tóth Imre (Officina Musei 11. Miskolc, 2002)

Ministry of Education and later of the capital of Budapest. Soon he was faced with the social contradiction, which led the country into the revolution of 1956. In summer 1956 he accepted the invitation of his colleague artists to the artists' colony in Miskolc, which meant, that he came back to his place of birth. Since then he has lived here and he was become one of the colony's determined personalities. The beautiful park of Miskolc, which opens onto the Avas hill, is called "Hungarian Barbizon". In addition to the inspiring country the city's hospitality attached the artists to this place from the beginning of the 20'

h century. So Miskolc joined the country's teeming life and with the organising of the most important artistic biennial conference (Graphic Biennial Conference) it became one of the Hungarian citadels of the fine arts. A big part in this development had the young artists-generation, which had settled down here, one of them being Imre Toth. Though, he isn't so spectacular, he embodies the public artistattitude, he rather chooses the solitude of the atelier and becomes absorbed in his work. In spite of everything till the end of the 21

st century an effective school was formed around him and his atelier is considered as an exhibition room for the fine arts, to which also belongs the children's noise. His work characterises social sensitivity, consciously rejecting of art for art's sake. In his pictures he follows the "colourism" filled with tensions, which characterises the Hungarian art of painting from the period of critical realism established in the second half of the 19

th century, which started with the arts of Mihály Munkácsy. He also says that the national characteristic in the culture should be preserved and kept alive. He submits this idea to his art also, when he creates expressive, beautiful graphics from workers in his home-colony. The word "beautiful" in this situation doesn't mean idyllic, but rather the beauty of truth. In point of view of the manin-the-street, the artist shows himself abreast with the every day's bitter and problems. In 1960 he became rewarded for his painting entitled "Alone" and in 1961 the "Biennial Conference for Youth" in Paris gave him recognition. His progressive drawing cycle entitled "Afrika" represented Hungary several times on international exhibitions.