Kiss Joakim Margit szerk.: Szentendrei művészet 1926–1935 között (Szentendrei Múzeumi Füzetek 2. Szentendre, 1997)

Dr. Nagy János: Korai szentendrei művek (Egy magángyűjtő tapasztalatai)

RÉSUMÉ Dr. János Nagy The Early Works of Szentendre (An Art Collector's Experience) Szentendre, the seven-tower town with its meandering streets, historic buildings ornamented with Baroque gates, wrought-iron cellar gates, and the one-time pump wells in the small squares, is one of the most beautiful spots of Hungary. I am writing these words from the point of view of a parochialist. Looking at old photos and postcards I am recalling the old memories I have exprienced in this town. Almost all the original inhabitants used to know each other. Born and brought up in this town, I saw lots and lots of artists during the years, though I only knew some of them in person: József Bánáti-Sverák, Miklós Bánovszky, Gyula Conrad, Antal Deli, Irén Érchegyi, Andor Kántor, Mária Módok and Béla Onódi. Jenő Szösz and József Sverák, my art teachers at school took us, pupils, to the Ferenczy Museum, to see the exhibitions in the 50s. All these expeiences must have contributed to my decision to become a collector of early Szentendre painting art. I must say some words about the painters who are the closest to me, and whom I knew in person as well. From the paintresses having worked at the colony I consider Mária Modok the most talented. She came to Szentendre in 1929, and exhibited several pictures painted in Szentendre, in collective, then in 1954, in one-man show as well. I was a grammar school student when I got acquainted with her in the 1950s, when she regularly came to my mother for a talk. She was a very friendly, informal, intelligent and humble artist. I can still remember her pushing her old bicycle upwards in Bogdányi Street and going shopping. As she had to manage the household it took too much time, which was a drawback to her artistic activity. Unfortunately, her art could not be accomplished in proportion to her talent. Her second husband, Béla Czóbel, an excellent painter of the century, was an obstinate or even dictatorial and ill-humoured character, and we all thought he was not too pleased with Maria's painterly achievement. This can be one of the reasons why she had but a few one-man shows after the war. One of her most significant oil paintings produced in Szentendre is the View with Szamárhegy (Donkey Hill), which I loaned from my collection to the exhibition, must have been made at the beginning of the 30s. This has been confirmed by my mother's memory as well. Miklós Bánovszky was the most indefatigable and one of the most active artits of the founder members of the colony. Regarded as the doyen of Hungarian painting art, he died on January 10 1995, only a few days before his 100th birthday. Whenever I visited him during the past years, I always found him working. He was never satisfied with what he had produced. 93