K. Peák Ildikó - Shah Gabriella: Mihályfi-gyűjtemény - Dornyay Béla Múzeum, Salgótarján (Salgótarján, 2014)
The Portrait Of A Collector (About Ernő Mihályfi)
furnished room. Gyula Derkovits died as he had lived for 39 years: horribly poor, hiding from people in sullen shame... Gyula Derkovits was known by few; it was only his pictures that showed up every now and then at exhibitions, always receiving overwhelming praise and enthusiastic reviews. Meanwhile, he hid in the wash-house-like mansards of rookeries in the once rapidly developing "Chicago" neighborhood of the 7th District or the slums of Újpest. He ate every once in a while, adding stomach ailment to lung disease. Sometimes he was thrown out of even the most deplorable apartments because he had failed to pay the rent-and he kept painting. He was one of the finest, most talented modern painters in Hungary... he has pictures in the museum, even in museums abroad. There wasn't enough money left after him to afford him a funeral."3 These dramatic and heartfelt words by Ernő Mihályfi tell the story of not just an exceptional figure of the Hungarian fine arts in the interwar years. It is more the story of a remarkably talented friend whose relationship with the author, beyond the admiration of his art, was rooted in a strong personal bond. Exploring the galleries, exhibition rooms and museums of Budapest between the world wars, Mihályfi had an eye for discovering future talent. His critiques and exhibition guides paint a vivid picture of the art life of his time, including the debuts of fresh talent, many of whom we now regard as classics. In his piece published 3 Ernő Mihályfi: "Derkovits Gyula festőművész szomorú élete és halála." Magyarország. June 1934. in Magyarország on May 20, 1928, "A Review of the Youngest Artists at the Art Hall", he writes enthusiastically about the debut of Academy of Fine Arts graduates: "The exhibitions of the Art Hall tend to showcase the recent past of Hungarian art, which is only loosely connected to the present. This is why the display of the future of Hungarian art at tomorrow's exhibition is especially surprising to witness. But it is just as welcome a sight as it is surprising... In particular, the youngsters' exhibition assures us that this heyday will not be followed by a decline but perhaps a time of even more dynamic progress. The well of talent is so strong, with so many exceptionally gifted young artists following in the wake of the old guard, that the distinguished position of Hungarian art in Europe seems safe in the long run."4 The collection features paintings and drawings by many Hungarian artists who were already regarded as classics in Ernő Mihályfi's time. The list of names and works includes the likes of Simon Hollósy, László Mednyánszky, Lajos Gulácsy, Béla Iványi Grünwald, as well as the academic study drawings of Hollósy, the map sketches and vagabond studies of Mednyánszky, and József Rippl-Rónai's nude drawings, gentle lithographs, and the vibrant still life Reggeliző asztal ("Breakfast Table") from his so-called "corn" phase. Besides artists with such peculiar and unique careers, Ernő Mihályfi's collection features representatives of all major schools of the Hungarian fine arts between the world wars. 4 Ernő Mihályfi: "A legfiatalabb művészek seregszemléje a Műcsarnokban." Magyarország. May 20, 1928. Rpt. in Ernő Mihályfi: Művészek, barátaim, pp. 28. 18 Mihályfi Collection
