Magyar News, 1999. szeptember-2000. augusztus (10. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-06-01 / 10. szám
Milton, 1878. It is now in the New York Public Library it has hung in the Deri Museum in Debrecen, Hungary, where it was joined by the restored Golgotha in 1993, and Christ Before Pilate in 1995. Munkácsy is an artist who has presented several different sides at different times, all under the category of Realism. He showed such differing approaches to various kinds of subject matter that the paintings seemed as tough they could have been done by different artists. In addition to his genre paintings and portraits, Munkácsy also produced nearly fifty landscapes, particularly during the 1880’s. While less well known, they are viewed by some as his finest works. A few of them, such as the Dusty Road, were very close in feeling to the Impressionist works being done by other artists during this period. More evident in others is the influence of Munkacsy's friend, László Paal and the plein-air style of the Nagybanya. While it is said that he did not enjoy landscape painting, it was commercially in demand and ironically, one area in which he was forced to confront the artistic trends of the times. Munkácsy also painted some very beautiful still life compositions, mainly florals which were an outgrowth of his salon paintings. One example is Flowers In A Blue Vase. Plagued by illness throughout his life, Munkacsy's health declined even further in 1896 following the completion of two monumental works, Arpad's Conquest of Hungary for the Hungarian House of Parliament and a fresco The Apotheosis of the Renaissance for the ceiling of the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna. He died in a private sanatorium in Germany in 1900, and his funeral in Budapest was a tribute which rivaled that of the funeral of Hungarian patriot Lajos Kossuth in 1894. While his reputation was in decline even before his death, his name evokes a passionate response as a legend. Munkácsy became a symbol of Hungarian world success, a symbol of national pride despite the fact that his painting was not representative of any national feeling. Never truly secure in his own fame, self-justification and a fear of failure caused him to make artistic compromises and created inner conflict. In 1900, the year of his death, the art world along the rest of the world, was already undergoing dramatic changes, and the style in which he worked was abandoned for Impressionism. He has been criticized on several fronts - for pandering to commercialism and for producing works which were not durable because of the materials he used. However, he remains a genius in the eyes of many, a man of undeniable talent whose worth was appreciated both in Hungary and in America at a time when a new class of art collectors were able to influence the art world in completely new ways. Our sincere thanks and apprection is expressed to those who have contributed art and other items to this exhibition. The Curator of this exhibition is Patricia L. Fazekas The Hungarian Conquest, 1893 in the Parliament, Budapest Page 5
