A szegedi nagyárvíz és újjáépítés. Európa Szegedért (Budapest- SZeged, 2004)

I. Az árvíz - Szelesi Zoltán: Festők az árvízről

SZELESI ZOLTÁN

PAINTERS ON THE GREAT FLOOD OF 1879

The destructions of the great flood, the damages it caused in the life of Szeged have mobilised the whole Hungarian world of fine arts. Contemporaries were interested in the devastations of the Tisza not only in Szeged, but in many other different towns, as well.

As far as fine arts are concerned we can state that the so-called “great flood” of 1879 gave inspiration to many famous Hungarian painters. Among them three were especially outstanding: Mihály Zichy (1827-1906), Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka (1853-1919) and Pál Vágó (1854-1928). Zichy, who had never been to Szeged, was sympathetic to the people of the city afflicted by the Tisza from the distance. With his art of drawing and enthusiastic organisational skills, he made efforts in Paris to give a helping to Szeged. Csontváry was personally participating in the rescue operations during the

flood, and the experiences he had here as well as his sickness played a significant role in his further intellectual and artistic life. The flood-tragedy of the riparian city was immortalised by Vágó. His impressing canvas - on which he realised flood-notion that lived in the minds of the people living here into an authentic picture - was claimed by himself to be his main work, as well.

The commemoration of the flood has now for the first time undertaken the job to represent - among the above-mentioned pieces of art and it can be seen on the attached pictures, as well - the paintings that were not seen for more than 100 years and that were painted by artists who sent their pictures upon the competition that was announced by Szeged for the commemoration of the flood. Thus the pictures presented here make these paintings accessible for both the public as well as for professionals.

31. Részlet a festményből

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