Hungarian Artists in Munich 1850-1914 shows paintings, graphic works and sculptures by such artists as Bertalan Székely, Pál Szinyei Merse, Mihály Munkácsy, László Mednyánszky and Simon Hollósy, all of whom studied at the academy in Munich - now called the Academy of Fine Arts - which celebrated the 200th anniversary of its establishment last year. The show also features works by German artists whose influence on their Hungarian students was undeniable. A fine example of this is Wilhelm von Kaulbach's 1841 painting Barron István Prónay as Hamlet, which is displayed next to a copy made by his student, the Hungarian Soma Orlay Petrich. Many of the themes in the exhibition are the same: perhaps two of the finest examples of intimate landscapes are Szinyei Merse's May Day and Gyula Benzúr's Woman Reading in the Forest.
One of the most interesting episodes shown in the exhibition is the playful experimentation with light seen in a painting of a pub by Hollósy or of a family bathed in the light from a window in a work by László Pataky. In paintings such as these, it is interesting to see what is behind the window as well as the plants in the window and the gestures of the people in the paintings, the exhibition's curator Orsolya Hessky points out. Finding these recurring themes presents an interesting challenge to museum-goers.
The exhibition runs from October 1, 2009 until January 10, 2010.
Author: Éva Kelemen / Photo: Dániel Kováts
