Gömöry Judit – Veszprémi Nóra - Szücs György szerk.: A Művészház 1909–1914, Modern kiállítások Budapesten (A Magyar Nemzeti galéria kiadványai 2009/2)

FÜGGELÉK - András Zwickl: "The House of Modern Art"

shows, presenting major selections from the works of acknowledged masters of Hungarian modernism. The new venue was opened with an exhibition that would by all expectations be successful, rewarding even financially: a major retrospective of József Rippl-Rónai. Following the move, a general meeting was held where the leadership of the society also changed. Besides the artist vice-chairman Béla Iványi Grünwald, a new patron vice-chairman was elected: Count Lipót EdelsheimGyulai; József Rippl-Rónai was elected to be the chairman of the Artists' Council. The board was eked out by two members of parliament, Baron Gyula Madarassy-Beck and Géza Szullő; two honorary members: Károly Ferenczy and Károly Kernstok, the painter Gyula Batthyány and the architect László Vágó. The Artists' Council was also changed: several younger members disappeared, and mid-generation artists took their places, many of whom had been active in the MIÉNK. After Rippl-Rónai's exhibition, three one-man shows followed, including that of János Tornyai and Károly Kernstok, taking up all the autumn season. One-man shows continued in 1912, as well, but, after the exhibitions of Szilárd Kővári, János Vaszary, Mihály Bíró, the "graphic artist known by his socialist posters," this series finally ended. The expansive strategy of the Artists' House had made its effects felt by the end of the year. The Kernstok retrospective had opened in the December of 1911, and a travelling show went around the southern parts of the country (now: Serbia) during the Christmas and New-Year sale, after which the Viennese Neukunstgruppe displayed its work in Budapest. At the end of 1911, the society published a folder with linocuts by major artists as a bonus for members. It seemed it was time for the Artists' House to move from the flat into a venue of its own. Like the Art Hall and the National, it wanted to have an imposing building, a "palace" of its own; and it managed to purchase the Zichy Palace at the corner of Rózsa utca and Szegfű utca. From without, the Artists' House seemed increasingly successful; the truth was, however, that the problems it had encountered from its inception weighed down on it more and more. An art-dealing partnership had provided its financial basis from the background; but it soon turned out that the interests of the two enterprises could not be adapted to one another in the long run. This was what had led to the breach with the Hungarian Art Co., which imposed heavy burdens on the society: it had to pay off a debt of 30,000 crowns. The two annual reports of the Artists' House that have come down to us clearly show the costs and expenses of running it and the incomes it could count on. In the first year, the bulk if its income consisted of the membership fees, two-thirds of which however were paid not in cash but, as provided for by the statutes, founding artist members could "redeem their membership fees with one or more artwork." Many artists were obviously motivated by the unjuried shows; moreover, founding members were entitled to present their works in groups "under the leadership and arrangement of juries elected from among themselves." Founding members, who could be both artists and patrons, were to "pay a sum of 300 crowns in return for perpetual membership"; while patron-artist and regular members paid an annual fee of 20 crowns. In return for this, each member was entitled to visit the exhibitions and events the society arranged free of charge, receive free copies of its publications, and participate at two lot drawings a year where art-work prizes were to be worth at least double the annual fee. "his scheme, promising a prize for everyone, obviously seemed rewarding for prospective patron members, but it was evidently a losing bargain, and could hardly be maintained in the long run. Membership kept increasing; by the end of the year, the society had 1690 members, of whom 262 were the founding-artist, 16 founding-patron and 1690 ordinary members. The number of members from country towns were also significant: in the summer of 1910, 218 people joined in Kolozsvár (now: ClujNapoca, Romania) and 230 ín Nagyvárad (now: Oradea, Romania). The members included such notabilities as Count János Zichy, the minister of religion and public education, and Count Gyula Andrássy, the chairman of both major art societies, the OMKT and the National Salon, both men joining after the outstandingly successful Impressionist Exhibition. At the time of purchasing the palace, the number of founding members increased; their list included novelist-journalist Jenő Rákosi, Count Endre Hadik-Barkóczy, Baron Frigyes Harkányi, Baron József Hatvány, Count Géza Somssich, Dr. Tibor Hajdú, the abbot of Pannonhalma. In the January of 1913, Miklós Rózsa could write "in the less than two years of its existence, the society increased its membership to 2066, which imposing number is made up of 320 artist, 96 founding-patron and 1650 ordinary members." Just as the Art Hall or the National Salon, the Artists' House marketed most of its exhibits, only a small portion of them being not on sale. From time to time, the papers reported of successful sales. In the beginning, the society could count on the purchases of primarily private collectors, venturesome art lovers inclined to modern trends, but, after Rippl-Rónai's retrospective, the state and the capital city also appeared among the buyers. This was an important advance, for the society could reckon with sure and regular purchases, while it was also a sign of its significance and rank that public collections were among its buyers. From then on, members of the purchasing committee of the National Applied-Art Council visited "THE H O U S E Ü F. M O D i: UN ART " 259