Zwickl András szerk.: Árkádia tájain, Szőnyi István és köre 1918–1928. (A Magyar Nemzeti Galéria kiadványai 2001/3)

TANULMÁNYOK - ANDRÁS ZWICKL: The Pictures of the Ideal and the Real - The Arcadia Painting of the Szőnyi Circle

sicism, also: "What a large number of classicisms: clear and comprehensive order, refineness, beauty of movement and form there are in the system of modern machinery!" (Péter Mátyás [Ernő Kállai]: Uj művészet II., MA 1921.augd. VI./8., pp. 1 14-1 15.). 6 Art history embarkec on a systematic study of the neo-classical trends in the painting of the 1 920s relatively late. The work of research and analysis intensified in the 1980s [Jean Clair: les realismes 1919-1939, Paris-Berlin, 1981), bul the comprehensive works were born in the 1990s (Elisabeth Cowling-Jennifer Mundy: On Classic Ground. Picasso, léger, de Chirico and The New Classicism 1910-1930, Tate Gallery, 1990). In German-speaking countries the studies focused on representatives of the Neue Sachlichkeit, while in Italy and France the works of the major exponents of NeoClassicism were discussed (for example, Hans-Jürgen Buderer-Manfred Fath: Neue Sachlichkeit. Bilder auf der Suche nach der Wirklichkeit. Figurative Malerei der zwanziger Jahre, Kunsthalle Mannheim, Prestel, München, 1994; l'idea del classico 1916-1932. Temi classici neilarte italiana degli anni Venti, Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea, Milano, Fabbri Editori, 1992). In a broader context in Western Europe, and as part of the interactions between Italian and German art in the 20th century, a comparison was made between the neo-classical schools of the two countries (e.g. Neue Sachlichkeit, Valori plastici; see note no.

4.). The categories of "realisms" and "Neo-Classicism" are often extended to describe the entire phenomenon collectively and in this way one term becomes a sub-division of the other. 7 For example, the Polish Moïse (Mojzesz) Kisling, Tamara de Lempicka (Tamara tempicka), the Czech Othon Coubine (Otakar Kubin), Jiri Kars. Roh himself does not confine his attention to Western Europe; the examples he brings up include Czech, Polish and Hungarian artists, also. The publisher dedicated separate volumes to the art of Central and Eastern Europe (see note no.

8., and also Kállai 1925). In Czechoslovakia the neo-classical tendencies were presented in the 1980s in two exhibitions (Hana Rousová: Cesky neoklasicismus dvacátych let 1-2, Galerie hlavního mësta Prahy, Praha, 1985 and 1989); In Poland one part of the subject was discussed in the form of books and exhibitions introducing various groups of artists (Henryk Anders: Rytm. W poszukiwaniu stylu narodowego, Arkady, Warszawa, 1972; Kat. Ksztalcenie artystyczne w Wilnie i jego tradycje, Muzeum okr'gowe w Torunii, 1996); In Croatia (Ivanka Reberski: Realisms of the Nineteen-Twenties in Croatian Painting: The Magical, the Classical, the Objective Realism, Neo-Classicism, New Reality, Objective Reality, Critical Realism, Institut za Povijest Umjetnosti, Artresor studio, Zagreb, 1997) and in Romania the neo-classical tendencies were treated in a separate volume (loana Vlasiu: Anii '20 tradi(ia §i picfura romcneascö, Editura Meridiane, Bucure§ti, 2000). 8 Adolf Kuhn: Polnische Kunst von 1800 bis zur Gegenwart, Klinkhardt & Biermann Verlag, Berlin, 1930 9 Kállai 1925 10 In Hungary Zoltán Gálig has been dedicated to the study of the Hungarian representatives of Neue Sachlichkeit for some time (Gálig 1993). 1 I The preliminaries of the term "Szőnyi circle": in his essay Harmincévesek festészete, István Genthon points out in connection with Derkovits that he did not belong to the "Szőnyi circle" (Genthon 1 932. P. 244.). Károly Lyka's book dedicates a separate chapter to the phenomenon under the title "Szőnyi és köre" (Lyka 1956. pp. 51-56.), also mentioning the "Szőnyi circle" elsewhere (ibid. pp. 70, 73). 12 The artists community was reinforced by the members' personal relations: many of them were linked by close friendship and several years of working together. The three male members of the Szőnyi circle had already been friends before the war broke out. (B. Supka 1966. P. 1 9.); in all probability they had known each other from the Academy. According to his recollections, during the war Imre Nagy shared a studio with Szőnyi, Aba-Novák, Patkó and Nándor Lajos Varga who were all conscripted college students on leave (Imre Nagy 1983. p. 67.). In 1919 Aba-Novák and Patkó shared a studio with Erzsébet Korb. Some artists got to know each other in the army, others met either at Nagybánya or, in the early 1920s, in Olgyai's class. 1 3 Szőnyi, for example, is primarily associated with the Gresham circle, Aba-Novák is usually described as a member of the "Rome school", while Paizs Goebel is mainly known for the works he produced during his "Szentendre period". 14 In his recollections about this specific era, Károly Lyka writes about the segregation of Hungarian art after the war in a chapter appropriately entitled Behind the Great Wall of China (Lyka 1956. p. 15.); later he emphasised this separately in discussing the Szőnyi circle: "Closely associated with the names of Szőnyi and Aba Novak is a peculiar movement of style that reaches back to the youthful years of these two artists, to a period when we were still secluded from the world, and every one of our artistic movements was endemic, in other words, specific to Hungary." (ibid. p. 55.) 15 On the "Neo artists'" exploration of the Arcadia theme see: Krisztina Passuth: Neósok: Kelet- és közép-európai analógiák, in: Jurecskó 1992. pp. 53-54. 16 Sümegi 1996. Iványi Grünwald's monumental works and nude compositions show the influence of Art Nouveau, not only with regard to style but also in his choice of subject-matter, with their art running parallel courses with the works of Kernstok and Pór. It is interesting to note that in the 1910s Iványi Grünwald worked in a kind of neo-classical style, just as Kernstok and Pór did in the 1920s. 1 7 No comprehensive work has been produced specifically on the group Fiatalok, and the most important information can be found in the monographs either on Activism or on the various artists (Júlia Szabó 1971 ; Júlia Szabó 1981; Bajkay 1987; Mezei 1984; Kovalovszky 1976; Várkonyi 1997; In her Ph.D. dissertation, Edit András discusses Fiatalok in more details [Schönberger Armand [1885-19/4] munkássága, Ph.D. dissertation, ELTE, Budapest, 1997, pp. 27-39.) 1 8 In their 1916 catalogue they wrote that they were striving "towards some form of academism", expounding the idea of the "new academy" one year later. In the introductory text entitled Spring Exhibition they quoted "one of the participants". (Kat. A Nemzeti Szalon Tavaszi Tárlata, 1916. pp. 3-4.), and also the unsigned introduction in the catalogue for the 1917 group exhibition in the National Salon [Elöljáróba, pp. 3-4). 1 9 Although Kállai does not use the expression "NeoClassicism" in connection with the Szőnyi circle, he mentions the "Renaissance" and the "academy" on several occasions in the chapter. (Kállai 1925. 72., 74., 75., 76.) 20 Uitz's influence on Szőnyi is often pointed out in the literature (Kállai 1925. P. 74.; Genthon 1935. p. 258.; Gombosi 1984. p. 67.; Végvári 1962. p. 6.; Körner 1963. pp. 8-9.; Supka I960, pp. 1 1 .; Körner 1968. p. 77.; Németh 1968. p. 77.; Pataky 1971. p. 6.); however, on another occasion Genthon emphasises that "it would be unwise to over-estimate this" (Genthon 1957. p. 9.). Besides Uitz's name, several authors mention Nemes Lampérth's influence (for example, Jenő Barcsay: Nagy Imréről, in: Nagy Imre 1983. p. 393). At the Academy of Fine Arts evening free school, which he attended after 191 1, Szőnyi met Uitz and Kmetty (Végvári 1962. p. 17.); AbaNovák could also have been personally acquainted with Uitz, because at the start of his studies, in the first semester of the academic year 1913/1914, Uitz was still a registered student at the Academy. 21 Kállai 1925. p. 75. 22 Szőnyi was expelled from the Academy of Fine Arts in April 1920, after "The Committee found him wanting in Hungarian feeling and national loyalty, and refused to attest to his reliability." (MNG Adattár 18146/1969). 23 Kállai 1925. p. 74. 24 Erzsébet Korb's role in the formation of the Szőnyi circle's style should not be under-estimated; according to Lyka "the new style first manifested itself in her large-scale compositions" (Lyka 1956. p. 56.); on the basis of the painter Lajos Ujvári's verbal communication, Szőnyi himself accredited Korb with the "creation" of the style. 25 The Academy of Fine Arts' personal files reveal that Eizsébet Korb initially studied in Oszkár Glatz's class, then in the last semester attended István Réti's class; however, according to Genthon she also learned from Iványi Grünwald, Körösfői and Ernesztin Lohwag, also, and in connection with the painting Alterego he even mentions the Gödöllő school in his monograph (Genthon 1928. p. 5, p. 15). According to Béla Lázár, Korb's "first master" was Körösfői [Béla iázár's introduction, in: Kat. 1927 Ernst LXXXIX. p. 4.), who painted the frescoes of Zeneakadémia (Budapest Academy of Music), a building that was codesigned by Erzsébet Korb's father, Flóris Korb (190Z). 26 Several authors have to this date continued referring to Szőnyi as one of Olgyai's students, regardless of the fact that, in response lo Artúr Elek's comprehensive study (Elek 1925), Szőnyi himself refuted this (MNG Adattár 1 254Z/55.); I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Júlia Szabó for calling my attention to this letter. Dénes Pataky was among the first authors to point out ihat Olgyai had not been Szőnyi's master (Pataky 19Z1 . p. 6). 27 In his memoirs Szabolcs Lőrinczy describes that in October or November, 1 91 9 he visited Korb, Patkó and Aba-Novák in Berény's studio (MTA Művészettörténeti Kutatóintézet, MDK-CTL1 80/5); this studio, which gave home to Berény's short-lived free school, was situated in the house of Eizsébet Korb's parents (Topor 1991. p. 34.).