Imre Jakabffy (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 2. (Budapest, 1974)

KOÓS, Judith: A Hungarian pioneer of Art Nouveau: Pál Horti

JUDITH KOOS A HUNGARIAN PIONEER OF ART NO UV EAU: PÁL HORTI Pál Horti was one of the pioneers of the new trends and a prominent representative of Hungarian Art Nouveau.

1 In his art we may examine both the effects of universal Art Nouveau in Hungary, and the European connections of Hungarian art at the turn of the century. Soon after his introduction in Hungary he participated in international world exhibitions too. It is here, on the 1902 Torino and on the 1904 St. Louis international exhibitions that he got into closer connection with the European i.e. French and Italian, and the North American applied art. His oeuvre includes all branches of applied art: furniture, textile, pottery, goldsmith's art, metal work, interior decoration, design of exhibitions, illustrations, book decoration and applied graphic art. Regarding the variety of artistic forms, the originality and amount of his works, he may be considered as unique in Hungary at the initial phase of Art Nouveau. The creative years of the experimenting artist range not more than 10 years. During this time he achieved a reputation both at home and abroad, and got several international decorations. After his tragic death, however, he soon was forgotten, and in 70 years time his carreer and oeuvre are unknown to science.

2 The artist's carreer Pál Horti was born on the 18th of June 1865 in Pest, in the family of artisans. His father, Pál Hirth, was a tailor. The boy with an artistic bent after finishing 6 classes of the secondary school, entered the Model Drawing School (Mintarajziskola) in 1881. Though he won first prize with his inlaid table made when finishing the school, he decided to continue his painting studies in Munich, Paris and London. His first landscape exhibited in the Budapest Art Gallery "Detail from the bank of the Enns" had no success, though another one with the title "Woodmen" was bought by the Society of Fine Arts. In 1890, at the age of 25, he was appointed to professor of the Budapest School of Industrial Design (Iparrajziskola). Working day by day together with different representatives of applied art, his attention was gradually drawn towards these problems. He carefully began to study all the territories of applied art. In 1895 he went abroad again, to study different graphic techniques in Munich. After his return, he founded a duplicating company with his brother-in-law, but this did not fulfil his hopes and its bankruptcy caused great financial difficulties for the artist. 173