A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 41. - 1999 (Nyíregyháza, 1999)
Képző- és iparművészet - Ferenc Matits: Remembering the Work of Oktáv Smigelschi: Several Works by the Artist in Budapest
Matits Ferenc comunicári, Galéria de Artá. Sibiu 1979. TUDORÁN é.n. Tudorán M. O.: Catalog Patrimonial, Vol. 1. Muzeul Brukenthal. Sibiu é.n. 69-72. VÁTÁSIANU 1936. Virgil Vátásianu: Pictorul Octavian Smigelschi. Sibiu 1936/1982. The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire caused a parallel break, or, in certain instances, a rising to prominence, of the work of artists whose activity, either in whole or in part, now resided outside of the new political borders. The work of the Transylvanian artist Oktáv Smigelschi (Nagyludas/today Ludo§, Romania, 1866 - Budapest, 1912) can be found in the Hungarian National Gallery, the Hungarian Museum of Fine Arts and the "Rákócziánum" Church. These works allow the possibility to survey the career of this artist. Smigelschi's talent already drew the attention of Carl Dörschlag, his drawing teacher in Nagyszeben (today Sibiu, Romania). The artist trained at the predecessor of the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest, before beginning work as a drawing teacher in Selmecbánya (today Banská Stiavnica, Slovakia). Later he transferred to Erzsébetváros (today Dumbräveni, Romania) in Transylvania, where he was to work for 17 years. Besides his teaching activity, Smigelschi drew and painted, actively pursuing new techniques in his art. Following the turn-of-the-century Smigelschi repeatedly captured the attenion of the Budapest audience with works sent to exhibitions. He especially received recognition for the fresco-designs for the Romanian (Greek Catholic) Church in Balázsfalva (today Blaj, Romania), which, however, were never to be realised. These monumental works were heavily influenced by a study of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art. VÁTÁSIANU 1957. Virgil Vátásianu: Scurtá istore a artelor plastice in R.P.R. Vol. II. Bukarest 1957. MATITS Ferenc Budapest H-l 025, Turista u. 34. 2 Another important religious commission was for 1 the painting of the Orthodox church in Nagyszeben , (today Sibiu, Romania). The real breakthrough came 2 with Smigelschi's winning of a scholarship set up by Bishop Vilmos Fraknói, which allowed the artists to v work for a year at the Hungarian Artists' Studios in 5 Rome. Here Smigelschi experimented with the i "Coloured Cement-Marble Encrustation" technique, s which broke new ground in the artist's development, v It was with this technique that the artist was to execute ;. a commission by Bishop Fraknói to decorate the i interior of the Rákócziánum Church in Budapest. y However, the artist's untimely death was to intervene, r Both the Hungarian Museum of Fine Arts and the 2 Brukenthal Museum in Nagyszeben preserve works a by the artist which employ both cement-marble and - traditional techniques. The Hungarian National ) Gallery holds a number of graphic works by the artist. . Amongst these the work entitled "Quartett", a 1 preliminary study for an unexecuted cement-marble relief, exhibits Symbolist qualities, i The work of this artist, which runs parallel with t that of the Hungarian Pre-Raphaelite Movement, both / in originality and quality demands greater recognition ; for his activity. \ Translated by Anthony Gall r f Ferenc MATITS Budapest H-l 025, Turista u. 34. Remembering the Work of Oktáv Smigelschi: Several Works by the Artist in Budapest 458
