A Herman Ottó Múzeum Évkönyve 46. (2007)

Pirint Andrea: August von Pettenkofen magyarságképéről a Miskolcon őrzött festmény eredetiségének vizsgálata kapcsán

Szabó Ákos András 2002 Magyar festők és grafikusok életrajzi lexikona. I—

II. Nyíregyháza Weixlgürtner, Árpád 1916 August von Pettenkofen I—

II. Wien AUGUST VON PETTENKOFEN'S PERCEPTION OF THE HUNGARIANS -A STUDY IN CONNECTION WITH THE EXAMINATION OFTHE GENUINENESS OFTHE PAINTING HOUSED IN MISKOLC August von Pettenkofen (1822-1889), a Viennese painter, was drawn to Hungary by the currents of Orientalism. From 1851, he regularly visited Szolnok. The greater part of his oeuvre is made up of Hungarian themes (bustling market scenes, landscapes of the puszta, genre paintings with Gypsies and peasants). Several Austrian painters worked in Hungary during the 19th century, but Pettenkofen eclipses them in several respects. He was the perhaps most talented among them, he played an important role in mediating new French styles (Barbizon) to Central and Eastern Europe and, perhaps most importantly, his activity at Szolnok contributed to the foundation of the art colony, which officially existed from 1902 (and is still active). The study is made up of two separate sections, which are nonetheless bound by many strands. The painting examined was obtained by the Miskolc museum in 1977 from the collection of art collector Sándor Petró. There are several arguments in favour of the genuineness of the painting depicting a horse: its small size, the brisk brush strokes, and the characteristic a.p. signature. Analogies to the composition can also be quoted from the painter's other works. At the same time, the overall quality of the piece is much inferior to the standard of the artist's other works. Even though it is possible that the painting represents a quick sketch, it seems more likely that the work is a forgery. The study discusses the problem of detecting forgeries of Pettenkofen's works. Art historian Károly Eyka mentions that Adolf Müller, the painter's friend in Szolnok, with whom he stayed during his visits, painted several pictures while working with the Austrian master. Müller's paintings regularly tricked the art critics of the late 19th century. During his sojourns at Szolnok, Pettenkofen transmitted a very characteristic portrait of the Hungarian people, with a strong emphasis on their ancestral descent. Pettenkofen's perception of the Hungarians was very positive and it is therefore hardly surprising that the artist's positive attitude to the Hungarians was repeatedly emphasized in Hungarian art literature (at least in a certain period). The study explores this issue in greater detail. An overview of the relevant Hungarian art literature revealed that interest in Pettenkofen's work in Hungary began roughly at the time, when the art colony at Szolnok was founded. His works began to be shown in greater number at various exhibitions and the first serious critiques too were born at this time. Many of these writings are based on inaccurate data. Many elements of the myth spun around Pettenkofen, drawn in part from reliable information, and in part from various anecdotes, still live today. The greater part of the study contrasts the mythical and realistic elements of Pettenkofen's attitude to Hungary. The reality, as shown by Árpád Weixlgärtner's research, is considerably more prosaic than the picture presented by Hungarian writers (most notably Ödön Gerő and Dezső Rózsaffy). A rejection of the much-embellished elements, however, does not diminish the painter's memory. On the contrary, his merits and his acts of generosity are enriched with a new aspect, namely that the image of Pettenkofen's personality and his attitude to the Hungarian at the dawn of the 20th century, during a critical period of Hungarian art life, served to encourage a positive national identity and strengthened Hungarians' self-confidence. Andrea Pirint 446