Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Detail of János Vaszary's
The Golden Age
Right
Hungarian National Gallery façade
Secession Works in the Gallery
!
Lady in Red
contrived pose of the model
holding the cage is a trademark
of the artist.
£
The Manor House
József Rippl-Rónai
(1861-1927) was one of the
three most important artists of
the Secession Movement. He
studied for several years in Paris,
at a time when the Art Nouveau
movement was thriving. His mas-
terpiece
Lady in Red
(1896), also
known as
The Woman in Polka
Dots
, depicts the somewhat
affected pose of a model who
was apparently caught by sur-
prise. It was the irst Secession-
style painting in Hungary.
@
Girl with a Birdcage
at Körtyvélyes
Rippl-Rónai visited Italy in 1904
and was fascinated by the deco-
rative mosaics he saw in many
homes. This work from 1907 anti-
cipates his shift from soft brush-
work to more forthright strokes,
which would culminate in the
bold paintings of his later years.
$
Girls Getting Dressed
Completed in 1912, this is a
late Rippl-Rónai work that shows
the progression of Secessionist
painting as the brushstrokes
became bolder and the colours
brighter. The somewhat awkward
pose of the girl on the left betrays
the artist's penchant for playing
with the viewer's perception.
%
The Golden Age
An early painting by Rippl-
Rónai,
Girl with a Birdcage
(1892) is renowned for its
marvellous use of contrast -
note the white of the girl's
hands compared to the blurred,
dark background. The slightly
The second of the great
Secessionist triumvirate, János
Vaszary (1867-1939) oscillated
between Art Nouveau and Post-
Impressionism. His best painting
is probably this 1898 Art
Nouveau rendition of a nostalgic
yearning for a lost paradise.
^
Fancy Dress Ball
Vaszary's brightly coloured
1907 portrayal of Budapest
society has a touch of decadence.
Notice the gentleman's leering
expression and the licentious
pose of the object of his affection.
Girl with a Birdcage
by Rippl-Rónai
22
