Fabó Beáta - Gall, Anthony: I came from the East to a City of Great Palaces. Károly Kós, the early years 1907-1914 (Budapest, 2013)
Influences
Iparművészet - alongside an article by Lippich on Finnish art. It was also at his initiative and with Kallela's mediation that another Finnish critic compiled ‘The History of Finnish Art’, to be published in the series ‘Művészeti Könyvtár’ (‘Library of Art) in 1912. In March 1907, during his visit to Hungary, Kallela visited the Kalotaszeg/Tara Cälatei region as well. He met numerous artists and ministry representatives, notably the members of the Gödöllő artists' colony, Lippich and Majovszky from the ministry and artists Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch, Sándor Nagy, Ede Toroczkai Wigand, Géza Maróti and Béla Jánszky. Some of them were planning to go on a study trip to Finland together tire next summer, but finally it was only Maróti and Jánszky who visited Finland, as part of a longer journey. They paid a visit to both Saarinen and Kallela. Jánszky then published his impressions of Finnish architecture in the January 1908 issue of ‘Építő Ipar’. Later Toroczkai also visited Finland. Lippich, as a suitable closure to his agenda, in February-March 1908 published a paper called Art and Style’which dealt with artistic, political and philosophical issues, with special emphasis on the art of the English and Finnish peoples and the leading role architecture plays in their art. 'Architecture is the creation of ages with a unified world view and peoples that live in a community of ideas. In the absence of architecture all the other artforms have become homeless as well - sculpture and painting likewise. Architecture is the arch-artform thatforms the basis of all other artforms, their precondition, their basis and the creator of their decorative unity. No universal, grandiose and stylish art forms can be born or exist without architecture. Architecture, this organic art of space and mass has the calling to provide all other artforms with the power and morality of organic life, having itself returned to its own laws. But how are we to lead architecture back to the prerequisites of style if what has been said above is true - namely that only a unified world view and a community of ideas can create style’. The paper was illustrated by the group known as ‘the Young Ones! especially with drawings by Kós, with excerpts from his writings as well. In the summer of 1908 the newly established periodical, ‘A Ház’ (The House) published Saarinen's plans for the building of the Finnish parliament. The journal edited by Béla Málnai, which existed for a couple of years, managed to present to the public the works of Béla Lajta, Ödön Lechner and Kós. It was illustrated by one of the Young Ones', Lajos Kozma. Between 1906 and 1908 the Hungarian public and artists became acquainted with Finnish art - moreover, some of the artists got in touch with or even became friends with each other. Even though Kós didn't visit Finland, during his final years at university and following graduation he was aware of these developments. He met Saarinen and Gallen-Kallela in Hungary and Kós was a member of the same circle of artists that maintained an active communication with Finnish artists. Church at Tammerfors Magyar Iparművészet, 1908.3.9. 53 Interior of the Finnish Pavilion, World Exhibition, Paris, 1900 Magyar Iparművészet, 1908.3.9. Studio, Hvitträsk Magyar Iparművészet, 1908.3.10.
