In 2013, the National Gallery Collection acquired two great compilations of works of art by János Vaszary. Until now, the two compilations have been unknown for even the profession and so they are considered art history curiosities that we are now to show to the public.

The noble gesture of donation of works of art became a popular act at the beginning of the 19th century in Hungary. Ferenc Széchényi put down the foundation of the National Museum Collection in 1802 when he offered his own collection to the museum. Julianna Festetics donated a mineral collection to the future Museum of Natural Sciences. The archbishop János Pyrker also donated his own collection to the Museum of Fine Arts. At the beginning of the 20th century, then between WWI and WWII, donations and art patroning were still an attitude that was expected from high society members. After WWII, decades went on without the revival of donations but that changed due to one art collector.



The compilations the National Gallery acquired this year formed through the personal relations of János Vaszary in the 1930s.. The pictures were donated by the daughters of the collectors to the museum. Portraits and works of art by János Vaszary, Frigyes Frank and Klára Róna represent those collectors of art and donators whose collection made we chose the material for the exhibition from.

The Szilvay family

Szilvay Gyula Péter Pázmány University in Budapest studied literature and art history. After the first world war, he worked as a clerk in the Budapest headquarters of Salgótarjáni Mining Co.. His appeal to arts remained. He saved money and bought works of art, helping out several young artists in the 1920-1930's. The backbone of collection was primarily the Vaszary works, but there were precious pieces in his collection by Zoltán Klie, Robert Berény, Rudolf Diener-Dénes, John Kmetty, Frank Frederick, Géza Bene, Clara Rona as well as sculptures by Fülöp Beck Ő. and Ferenc Medgyessy. Hhis daughter, Maria Szilvay (Mrs. Balazsvari) donated in memory of his father the most outstanding pieces - six Vaszary paintings and Berény , Diener - Dénes , Frank Frederick , Zoltán Klie , John Kmetty , Rona Clare works to the Hungarian State. The chamber exhibition featuring the donations Vaszary works fro the 1920-1930 s are grouped by five major subjects that characterise the artist's creative period.

The Iszer Family from Issen

Between the two world wars in the 1930s, industrialist Stephen Isseni Iszer and his wife, Lola Revesz met through István Simko - Vaszary's best known collector and patron. Their relationship turned into friendship and the artist repeatedly portrayed Stephen Isseni Iszer's wife. Two portraits of Lola Simko is among the donated Vaszary works to the Hungarian National Gallery. Mrs. Isseni Iszer István emigrated to Germany in 1956 where he took the remaining family owned Vaszary images with herself. Their daughter, Mariann Isseni Iszer (Mrs László Kulha Dr.) for decades, held in high esteem the works inherited on her by his parents in her Hanover home. In 2013, in accordance with his mother 's will, she donated nine Vaszary works of museum value to the Hungarian National Gallery.

1. Glowing colors on a black background - still lifes, nudes, the 1920s

The earliest paintings in the gift collection was the 'Still life with Bronze Figure' and 'After a Bath' Spa are outstanding piece from his expressive artist's period. Most beautiful pictures in the of Vaszary's painting technique that was expanding in the twenties, the black based painting technique are still lifes formed with dynamic brushworks and dramatic nude compositions. In addition to French Post-Impressionist and Ineo-mpressionist influences, Vaszary's dark based pictures were also inspired by German Expressionist painters' intense scenic assets.

2. Paris Nights, clubs and the world of cabaret, 1925-1927

'Female head with cylinder' and 'Dancing Couple' are excellent graphics depicting clubs of Francs club life. During the trip to Paris in 1925 and two years later, the artist continuously produced sketches, watercolors and ink drawings. He later on used the impressions with light brush strokes as oil paintings. His most enduring memories came from varied night-life. He visited locales and -clubs, he did impromptu snapshots in color pencil and watercolor of the guests and stage actors. The audience at Moulin Rouge, Folies Bergere, the Casino de Paris, La Cigale and celebrities appear on compositions tossed in effortless brush strokes.

3. Travel in Italy - Sunny beach 1928 - 1930 's

The last years of the 20s, János Vaszary painted in Gulf of Venice and Trieste, and visited the most beautiful locations in the Gulf of Genoa as well. He painted the waterfront spectacle , the cavalcade of colorful fishing boats and sailboats, beach cottages,, episodes of the life on the beach. In the thirties, the elderly artist mostly spent his holidays on the Italian Riviera, but occasionally returned to the Adriatic Coast and travelled south , beyond the bay of Naples,to Taormina in Sicily. His work was characterized of multiple painting method . Of the series of sunny beaches, the 'Mistral in Rimini', 'Lady at he Beach with Umbellate' and His sketches- as well as his decorative oil paintings of beach scenes are on shown in the exhibition. Vaszary's compositions from the '30s show familiarity with paintings by Raoul Dufy, who reported on the showcase world of the French Riviera.

4. Parks, gardens , flowers - 1930 < / strong >
Bouquets of flowers on the living room table, cheerful garden flowers on the windowsill , green trees in the park in front of the house. Scenes in the flower garden and still lifes accompany Vaszary's career. Two still lifes earned place among the donation images.to be shown of the well-known, most representative pictures. Both are from Vaszary's late art period, from the 1930s, when his brush work less stressed. Compared to the previous period, his bright colors the sun-bleached shades melted into the texture of the canvas. By this time, his still lifes with flowers softened. His former he crisp brush work was replaced by the treatment of mature colors emanating pleasant warmth. Flower pot in the window was not as exuberant as before, the flowers were fragrant and in full glory still, but the breath of passing had already touched them.

5. The Calvary Theme

Through his upbringing and world-view, Biblical themes in Vaszary's oeuvre. Hardships he experienced during the First World War brought out religious motifs in art. The dramatic experience of the world war, invoking Biblical iconography, resulted in expressive visions on his canvases. Between 1918 and 1930, he worked on the story of Jesus' suffering creating countless oil paintings and graphic studies . One of the illustrious piece of the themes the artist's ripened longest, lamentation and death on the cross, are is the Calvary variation. The small pastel sketch is also connected to this theme, which is now in the Hungarian National Gallery 's collection through donations .

The exhibition is accompanied by text material helping the visitors in orientation of the Vaszary oeuvre. In addition to an analytical presentation of the five thematic groups, the biographyof Vaaszary in Hungarian or English and the story of donated collection is available for reading.

The exhibition was organized by the art historians Mariann Gergely and Edit Plesznivy.