Lóska Lajos szerk.: Művészettörténeti tanulmányok Pest megyéből (Studia Comitatensia 20. Szentendre, 1990)

Művészeti központok Pest megyében - Végvári Lajos: Zebegényi művészek

matching his remarkable talents. Though some of his late masterpieces were labelled pessimistic by Stalinist criticism he remained faithful to his own concept maintaining that each style is authentic if it expresses human things and relation and there are hopeless times when artists should comfort others by showing them true beauty. He died while working on a monumental fresco about the history of telecommunication. ARTIST IN ZEBEQÉNY Though Szőnyi attracted a lot of artists to Zebegény there has never been a proper artists' colony which a welldefined program, common aesthetic goal, not even a collective show. They were influenced, however, by Szőnyi's choice of topics and his method of composition. Elemér Vass (1887—1957) painted intimate natural scenes being touched by Matisse and Bonnard. The influence of Szőnyi consisted in greater decorativity which achieved full maturity in his period in Tihany. Jenő Elekfy (1895—1968) was a student of István Réti but his watercolours were decisively influenced by Szőnyi's paintings. The reflections of the Danube, the specific lights and colours of Zebegény provided ever newer challenges for his sensitive eye. Róbert Berény was one of the most versatile figures of 20th century Hungarian culture being a fine composer and soloist, a keen mathematician, music and art critique, philosopher and aesthetician who was most willing to solve theoretical problems but then lost interest completely in the result. He was a member of the Arts Directorium of the Hungarian Soviet Republic for which he was arrested and had to emigrate. Though he returned disillusioned in 1926 he was able to resuscitate his creative energies. First he designed commercial posters and from 1935 he spent the summers in Zebegény where he painted his most important lyrical landscapes — i.e. The End of the Village — and fine portraits. THE FREE ART SCHOOL Szőnyi could hardly use his fine studio because of his sudden death. His widow lent it to talented students and after her death in 1966 the state bought the oeuvre of the artist and the house in Zebegény in order to found a museum. Kornél Dániel, its painter-director together with Lajos Végvári and Pál Mizser decided to use the other parts of the estate for a free art school. They established a society named "Friends of the Szőnyi Museum" which was responsible for the free art school as well as the maintenance of the cult of Szőnyi. Highly regarded artist like Gyula Hincz, József Somogyi, Géza Gorka and László Gyémánt arid Pál Mizser volunteered to be teachers. Courses included drawing and painting nudes, sketch making and painting topics of free choice (mostly in plein air tradition). In the following years graphic and textile art, enamel, fresco painting and even design were taught. The present staff tries to develop visual culture rather than leading preliminary courses for later art students, though the most talented are certainly encouraged to pursue an art career. Its success is mostly due to the self-sacrificing work of its founders. One of them, Kornél Dániel is a follower of orphie Cubism in his landscapes. His figurai compositions are marked by an analytical approach and his drawings have a special type of suggestive intimacy, immediacy. József Kórusz's art is characterized by rich experience, intimate natural tones and fine artistry. The author labels his style as "emotional Impressionism" relying rather on luministic patches of colours and lights than on the line thus reaching a floating character.