Kopin Katalin: Kilenc évtized a művészet vonzásában. Pirk Jánosné Remsey Ágnes (1915-2010) és a Remseyek - PMMI - Ferenczy Múzeum kiadványai 33. (Szentendre, 2011)
Katalin Török PhD Ágnes Remseyand the Remseys An Outline History of the Remsey Family My essay summarizes the history of the long and versatile artist family from a new viewpoint by focusing on the character of Ágnes Remsey. Since the 1890s, the members of the Remsey family have simultaneously dealt with various art activities including fine and applied arts, music, literature, puppet show, acting and filmmaking through four generations. The family tradition was started by Johanna Olgyay Molnár (? -?), who made puppets out of necessity. Her two children and four grandchildren continued the tradition, and even developed it further. Her two daughters were called Ilona Remsey (? -?) and Gizella Remsey (? - ?). The latter spent her time making puppets and writing poems. Both of her sons were painters. The younger one, Zoltán Remsey (1893-1925) died at an early age, but her elder son, Jenő Remsey (1885-1980) lived to be over ninety. He was primarily famous for being a painter, but he also dealt with writing drama and poetry, editing newspapers and making puppets. He was the one who helped the family get in touch with the Art Colony of Gödöllő. His wife, Vilma Frey (1886-1974), who was an art teacher, and his sister-in-law, Rózsa Frey (1887-1975) used to work in the Gödöllő tapestry workshop when they were young. Vilma Frey and Jenő Remsey had four children: Ágnes Remsey (1915-2010), a tapestry artist, puppet maker, writer and aquarellist, Iván Remsey Iván (1921-2006), a painter and internationally renowned puppet artist, Gábor Remsey (1925-1999) a musician and graphic artist and András Remsey (1929-2011), a musician, graphic artist and maker of folklore and burlesque films, lima Sipos (1924-), István Remsey’s wife dealt with making puppets and painting. She and János Pirk (1903-1989), the painter, who became Ágnes Remsey’s husband, further deepened the Remsey family's commitment to arts. The Art Colony of Gödöllő, where the Remsey family’s history evolved, differed from other Hungarian art colonies in many ways. Apart from diverse creative activities, artists living here also emphasized the importance of lifestyle. As opposed to the contemporary middle-class, they endeavoured to live a healthy life, which included better nutrition and doing sports. Women wore natural clothing at the colony, and furnished their homes according to their own taste. The members of the colony shared the same life philosophy and morality, followed similar ars poetica and were devoted to healthy lifestyle popular at the beginning of the twentieth century, since, besides revolution in painting and fine arts, secession aimed at social change as well. The first period of the Gödöllő Artists’ Colony lasted until the death of its intellectual leader, Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch (1863-1920) in 1920. Between the two world wars, Sándor Nagy (1869-1950) and Jenő Remsey continued to represent and preserve the everlasting values of the colony. Since 1950, Jenő Remsey and the artist’s children have been doing the same. 17
