Csornay Boldizsár - Dobos Zsuzsa - Varga Ágota - Zakariás János szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 97. (Budapest, 2002)

NÉMETH, ISTVÁN: A Generous Gift or a Healthy Compromise? Some Contributions to the Background of the Donation of a Painting by El Greco

difficult, indeed next to impossible to take possession of such a first-rate work in our present situation ..." In the second part of his report, Petrovics informs the minister that Nemes, simultaneously with the donation of The Penitent Magdalen, bestowed a still life of fish by a seventeenth-century Dutch painter, Abraham van Beyeren (1620/1-1690) on the museum, as well,

12 in addition expressing his wish to refund the 20,000 crowns that the museum had paid for another still life by Van Beyeren, purchased from Nemes back in 1906.

13 The reason for that was that the collector wanted the painting (the only one he had ever gave to the state in exchange for money) to be exhibited and recorded in the Museum of Fine Arts as his gift.

14 What are of principal importance for us in this second part are the passages that clearly reveal that there was a strong connection between the donation of the Greco painting and Nemes' intention to take part of his collection with him as he would establish himself in Munich. Although Petrovics is extremely sparing with words, the allusions he makes seem to substantiate the suggestion that one of the important motives of Nemes' decision to give The Magdalen away to the Museum of Fine Arts was to promote procuring the government's permission to export part of his collection, hoping that he would find full and effective cooperation in persuading the government on the part of Petrovics. That it is more than merely an unsubstantiated hypothesis is proved by another letter by Petrovics to the Minister of Religion and Education, dated October 8, 1921. The lengthier document is so much the more is worthy of publishing in full as its relevance goes beyond merely throwing light upon the background of the donation of the Greco painting at issue, and comprises highly remarkable contributions towards a deeper understanding of the personalities of Marcell Nemes and Elek Petrovics, as well.

15 The Still Life of Fish on the Shore by Abraham van Beyeren, valued at 400,000 crowns, follows immediately Greco's The Penitent Magdalen in the museum's book of inventory. Oil on canvas, 86.2 by 102 cm. Inv. 5641. 13 The signed Still Life of Fruit, purchased from Marcell Nemes in 1906: Oil on panel, 57.5 by 71.4 cm, inv. 3320. 14 It may be assumed that Petrovics made efforts to meet Nemes' desire, which is endorsed by the fact that the entry on the picture in Gábor Térey's 1924 catalogue (published when Nemes was still alive) refers to the Still Life of Fruit by Van Beyeren as a gift of Nemes (Térey, G., Az Országos Magyar Szépművészeti Múzeum Régi Képtárának Katalógusa, Budapest 1924, 12). It has to be noted however that the subsequent catalogues of the Old Masters' Gallery came back to describing it as an acquisition, even though a reference is made by Pigler to the refunding of the price in 1921. See: Pigler, A., A Régi Képtár Katalógusa, Budapest 1937, 38 (1954, 56) and Katalog der Galerie Alter Meister (n. 1) 65. Submittal of Elek Petrovics, typescript, Archives of the Museum of Fine Arts, file no. 785/1921.