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Hungarian Art Show Opens in Santa Fe From the Collection of Kirk Brown and Jill Wiltse
Mr. Brown and Ms. Wiltse
dedicated the exhibition to their late friend, helper and advisor István
Rozsics who had played an important role in introducing Hungarian history
and fine art to them and whose recent and tragically unexpected death has
deeply saddened them. (Rozsics also was an important friend and advisor to
Nancy G. Brinker, former U.S. Ambassador to Budapest, a friend of Brown/Wiltse
and fellow collector of Hungarian art.)
At the opening, Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi and Eugene
F. Megyesy, Jr., Honorary Consul General of Hungary, delivered welcoming
remarks. Following the ceremony, a lecture and overview of the exhibition
was presented by Dr. Steven Mansbach, Professor of the History of
Twentieth-Century Art and author of "Standing in the Tempest: Painters of
the Hungarian Avant-Garde, 1908-1930."
The artists included in the
exhibit were part of the foremost intellectual and cultural groups of the
time. The selection of works is a fascinating exploration of the most
important movements in art history.
A group of progressive artists
known as The Eight, founded
in 1909, introduced the
European avant-garde trends of the beginning of the century to the Hungarian
art scene including Fauvism, Expressionism, Post-Impressionism and Cubism.
Members of this group featured in the show include Róbert Berény, Dezsõ
Czigány, Károly Kernstok, Ödön Márffy, and Bertalan Pór. In addition,
brilliant works represent the art of such artists as Géza Bornemissza,
József Egry, Jenő Gábor, Béla Kádár, József Rippl-Rónai, Lili Ország, and
János Vaszary.
Thematically, one will see
landscape and cityscape scenes of recognizable locations including the
Danube River, Paris and famous Budapest parks. These scenic pieces show the
great talent of plein air painters Béla Ivanyi Grünwald and Vilmos
Perlrott-Csaba, who was a student of Matisse. There are strong and powerful
portraits from the early 1900s that reflect the strict artistic norms of the
time while elegant nude drawings reflect a freer style.
Other themes investigated
include the café, nightlife, and still life in varying stylistic trends of
early 20th century.
Hungarian
Masterworks
reflects the foundations of Hungary’s visual culture prior to a devastating
revolt. In 1956, Hungary revolted against the Soviet communist regime.
Inspired by Poland’s successful uprising, the Hungarian revolt began
peacefully with a student march that soon grew to include thousands. After
a bitter struggle, Hungary was successful in ousting the Soviets only for a
short period after which the people of Hungary were crushed in a surprise
invasion. 2006 marks the 50-year anniversary of this historical Hungarian
uprising.
The opening was attended by a large audience, with
people coming from all over the United States and even from Hungary. One of
the highlights of the event was the discussion about the origins of János
Vaszary's painting "Prospect to the Sea." Róbert Berény's grandson, Thomas Sos,
and Hungarian art historian Gergely Bárki suspected that this might not be
Vaszary's work but it was painted by Róbert Berény. They presented
convincing arguments to support their case.
Denver-based American collectors-entrepreneurs Jill A.
Wiltse and H. Kirk Brown III visited Hungary in April 1997 for the first
time and instantly became fans of Hungarian art. Hungary is grateful to this
wonderful couple who have, through their persistant and thoughtful
collecting, enchanted us with works unseen by the larger public. They have
significantly contributed to enabling 20th century and contemporary
Hungarian art to claim its deserved place in the world of fine art. Their
commitment is even more admirable in light of the fact that they are not of
Hungarian origin and were not related to Hungary in any way.
Thank you, Jill and Kirk! An article on the opening and the show by Kathy Megyeri appeared in the April issue of Fraternity magazine.
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