Czeglédy Imre: Munkácsy Békés megyében (A Békés Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei 17. Békéscsaba, 1994)

After the decision to be a bachelor- against Munkácsy s biography he did not leave György Láng immediately, but he worked as an assistant for a few months. It was at the end of October 1858, that he travelled to Arad to begin his obligatory three roving years. In Arad he met some students from Békéscsaba, but the declasse could be felt in there connection. Munkácsy wrote only a few pages about the two years he spent in Arad. With the help of his contemporaries, it was possible to make the years richer. From his low income he can not afford to buy enough food, he became very ill. That is the reason why he had to travel home to his uncle in Gyula - the centre of Békés County-, who worked as a clerk. During his illness he felt the first desire and compulsion to draw, he made copies of the engrawings he found in the room. His uncle, seeing his talent sent Munkácsy to have lessons from Karl Fischer, who was an Academic painter and teacher in the local art school. Here he met Elek Szamossy, the roving painter, who stayed in the Castle of Gyula, who discovered his talent, and assigned him to be his assistant. That casual made him a painter. From that time, when he was 17, he left the first draft book. The life in the Castle of Miska and Szamossy was written by a roving artist, who visited Szamossy for three months as an amateur painter. At the end of 1860 Szamossy finished his work in the Castle of Gyula, left to go to Arad. Shortly after Miska followed him. They spent some months in the aristocratic castles of Arad, Beodra and Buziás. Miska made his drawings with the help of Szamossy, his progress was proved by his finished work. Autumn 1862, after working together for 18 months, he said farewell to his master to pursue his studies in Budapest. However, prior to this he visited his uncle in Gerendás. The field of Gerendás was the furthest boarder of Békéscsaba, near to Orosháza. The landowner had a farm on one part of his field, the other part was divided into 2-300 Hungarian acres to different farmers. One of the tenants was István Reök, and spent most of his time on his fields to raise money to study abroad. His uncle had not left him alone. Altough Munkácsy has not mentioned, he was taken to family meetings, and wrote letters of recommendation to his family and friends living in Budapest to look after Miska, who wants to leave to Budapest. He spent half year in Gerendás, he painted oil-paintings and the numerous rough draft were prowing his conscious preparation. He left to Budapest in May of 1863, after he had spent there 20 months. The first part of 1865 he spent in the Academy of Vienna, but after the death of Rahl he left Vienna. He spent 6 months in Gerendás. He painted a picture with the title: Dinner on the Puszta and the Woebegone Highwayman, which caused a great sensation. He was working to obtain money so that he could travel abroad again. In winter he moved to Békéscsaba and lived in lodgings and was asked to make portraits. From that time 7 oil-paintings were completed. Due to an eye-desease in February 1866, he traveled to Budapest. Luckily he recovered. After a short stay in Budapest and Gerendás in October 1866, he set off to a new venture of his studies - the Academy of Painting in Münnich. He was again in Hungary between July and August 1867. In August he also traveled to Gerendás, where he sketched for the last time. During the year his uncle left his lodgings, and from the inheritance from his wife he farmed on a field (3 km from Békéscsaba). He built a farm house, he established a modell farm and built a small atelier even for Munkácsy. At his first stay in Budapest Munkácsy started to use his artist name: Munkácsy instead of Lieb. He got his name from his journeyman joiner fellow, as they called each other by origin. This is the reason he became Miska Munkácsy, instead of Miska Lieb. In 1868, when he attained his majority, he officially asked to change his name, which was done in a couple of days, considering his intention to travel abroad. In Autumn 1868, when he chose Düsseldorf instead of Münnich to follow his studies, he attached attention with his painting: „Jawning Apprentice" and in the same year he painted the 223