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Derkovits Gyula 20 th century Hungary

Destiny: typical or ordinary? Bognr Alexandra

Art History - Politics

1894-1934

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DERKOVITSGYULA

ThispaperisgoingexamineaHungarianartist'slifeandworkinapoliticalcontext

thatexistedatthattime.Thequestionishowtypicalhisdestinywas.Theerawhichis going to be analyzed is the early 20th century, the 1st World War then the

dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the short-term Hungarian Soviet

RepublicfollowedbytheTrianonpeacetreatyandfinally,theregencyofHorthyall

hadtheireffectsontheculturallife-therefore,itisnotunusualthatsuchanartist,

who lived a relatively short life had 3 artistic periods, dealing with different

objectives,butstillfeltlonely.

Derkovits Gyula (1894-1934) was a Hungarian painter, printmaker and

draughtsman.HeestablishedhisuniquestyleafterWestern-Europeantraditionsat

thattime,mostlyafterexpressionism,cubismandconstructivism.Theactualpolitical

system,whichofcoursetriedtoestablishequalityandwealth-"allanimalsareequal

but some animals are more equal than others" as GeorgeOrwell wrote in Animal

Farm-appliedshowcaseactionsinordertogaincompletecontroloversocietyand

thesesteps"modified"Derkovits'sentimentalitytowardsart.

EARLYLIFE

Despite his artistic interest, he was trained as a carpenter (like his father), but

refusedtopursuethisvocationandasanattempttoescape,hevolunteeredforthe

armyduringWorldWar1.Hewassubsequentlygravelywounded,hislefthandwas

paralyzed and tuberculosis was diagnosed from which he suffered throughout hislife.In1916,asawarcasualty,hemovedtoBudapest,wherehegotaidforlivingand

alsoworkedasajoiner.(www.artportal.hu)

As a result of the World War, "the military collapse of the Habsburg monarchy

openedthewaytoarevolutionarytransformationofEastCentralEurope.Released

energiesfoundexpressionintwoforms:innationalorsocialrevolutions."(IstvnI.

Mcsy,TheEffectsofWorldWarI)

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Atthattime,therewasaprettystrongplebeian-leftistattitudeamongthesociety,

whosemostradicalrepresentativewasthecommunistparty.ThisisnotStalinism,

this is something stronger. Political resolution and even radicalism is hearty

welcomeeverywhere,butcanbedangerousincaseofHungary.Thus,hetriednottostayawayfrompolitics,butstayawayfromtheformsofdailypolitics.

As being a leftist thinker, Derkovits joined the Communist Party in 1918. The

communisttheorystatesthatonlytheworkingclasscansolvetheproblemcausedby

capitalism orthe "dictatorship ofthebourgeoisie", because it is the working class,

"theproletariat"whoproduceswealth.Generally,theaimisatransitiontoasociety

where there is no such thing as "social class", only equality. Communism, as allpolitical movement in theory sounds nice but nonviable. "How do you tell a

communist?Well,it'ssomeonewhoreadsMarxandLenin.Andhowdoyoutell an

anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin." said Ronald

Reagan in 1987, expressing that even though the goals of such a classless and

statelesssocialstructureisimagined,theimplementationisfarmorecomplicated.

Theprimaryreasonforjoiningthecommunistpartywasthatthisdecisionmeantan

opportunity to meet the company's intellectuals like Jzsef Attila or moreover,

establishingforeignrelations(emigrantsfromVienna).Heremainedalonewarrior

throughouthislife.Sincetherewasnointernetortvandevenradiohasjuststarted

getting more and more popular and widespread, the political forms of art could

appearonlyinpostersorinnewspaper-thiswasthewayofcommunication.The

question is, therefore, whethera real artistneeds to take a commitment in world

issues. And the answer is yes, he ought to, he can not hide in his own problems.

Harsh,radicalresolutionsalwayscharacterizedhisartsinceafteraneoclassicalstart,

heexpressedhimselfinexpressionism,cubismandevenconstructivismashaving

beenhighlightedintheintroductionoftheessay.

From1918DerkovitswastrainedatthefreeschoolsetupinHaris-kzwhereRippl-

RnaiJzsef,VedresMrkandKernstokKrolyproofread.Therehelearnttopaint

and do copper engravings and produced mostly pencil and tint drawings.

(www.terminartors.com)

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DuringthesucceedingHungarianSovietRepublicin1919heworkedonKernstok's

land and did not plan to return to the capital due to the atmosphere. As being an

artist,hepoliticizeswithhisartandhewantstheartistic lifetobeopenedtowhat

hasbeengoingonrecentlyintherealworld,insteadofniceivorytowers.

Hedidnotlook up on Kernstockas a kind ofrolemodel for him,but it should be

admitted that he had much to offer - he taught the basics of "painting-building",

realizedDerkovits'talentincompositionsandthusdirectedhimtothispath.What

he was mostly taken by is Kernstock's way of thinking - he made a connection

betweenartandpolitics,thereforearthasasocialrole.(Krnerva,DerkovitsGyula,

p.17)

The"RepublicofCouncils"(madeupofBolsheviksandleft-wingSocialDemocrats),

ledbyKunBla,insteadofwaitingforthedeusexmachina,officiallyrenouncedthe

territorialintegrityofHungary.

"When,promptedbyParis,RomaniaandCzechoslovakiaattackedKunsHungary,the

Hungarian counter-attack was successful and in the eastern half of what is today

Slovakia a Slovak Republic ofCouncilswasproclaimed, Georges Clemenceau, the

ChairmanofthePeaceConference,prevaileduponKuntostopfightingandevacuate

the territories occupied. That decision contributed to the fall of the Hungarian

Bolsheviks, who were eventually replaced by a conservative-leaning national

government, which was eventually summoned to Paris to be presented with the

terms of peace in January, 1920." (Gza Jeszenszky, The After-Life of the 1920

HungarianPeace,p.4)

TheresultwasapeacetreatysignedwithHungaryandfromthattimeonthename

"Trianon" became a household word. Extremist political tendencies like the

nowadayspopularJobbik party, oftenrefer toitasthemostunfairsettlementasit

brokeupthekingdom,reducedtheterritorytoitsthirdandattaching(againsttheir

will) several million Hungarians to neighbouring countries where they became

victims of discrimination. Repeating history always boosts people's nationality,

therefore,mentioning"Trianon"isagoodweaponforrevolution.

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Withthefallofthesovietrepublic,asallotherpoliticallycompromisinginstitutions,

the school in which Derkovits learnt had to break up. Students left the building

duringnight,hiding.1920isanimportantyear,Derkovitsgotmarriedwithamodel

fromthefreeschool,namedDombaiViktriawithwhomhehadbeengoingoutfor2years.Findingalife-longpartnerstrengthenedhiminhisbeliefsandconvincedhim

toundertakehis"character".Thisrelations'testimonyappearedinhislaterdouble

portraits.(Krnerva,DerkovitsGyula,p.21)

When Szobotka Imre travelled

abroad,heofferedhisstudio.From

that time on, Derkovits had theopportunity to paint larger

compositions. His first exhibition

wasopenedinNovember1922in

Gallery Belvedere exposing 70

artworks.Thiswasalsotheendof

his first artistic period. He was

under the influence of the neo-

Nazareneworldviews,whichwere

interpreted by the "Nyolcak". (An

art group formed by 8 artists,

looked for "new". Their art

originally stems from Czanne's works, but the aim was similar to some

contemporaryWesternEuropeans')(www.bibl.u-szeged.hu)

Paintings like "Koncert" (1921) or "Nagy fa alatt" (1922), both exhibited at the

NationalGallery,Budapest,evokestheidealharmonyofthelostParadiseandGolden

Age."Koncert"illustratesafewpeoplesittinginaring,withtheirbodynaked,the

paintingevokesthegolden-ageArcadia'sgenerality.Humancommunityisbasedon

theman-woman-childprinciplethatmakesupafamily.Themaninfrontofthem,

playing on the violoncello symbolizes not the fourth member, but completes the

musicalharmony'sidealimage.(Krnerva,DerkovitsGyula,p.45)

Koncert1921

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Derkovits' status, the poverty and hopelessnesswere opposed to cold, isolationist

politicsandofficialart,which"drools"anational-romanticbitternesswhilehaving

itssuppression.Hetriedtoescapefromthisbylookingfor

international art andpersonal relations but the depressedsearchingwasgrievousmostlybecauseofsuchisolation.His

subjects tell the same. He kept painting still lives - which

indicates that he desired classical genres but it was

impossibletoworkinpiece.Thus,hisportraits(andeven

hisstilllives)revealdeeptension.Hecreatedhighartistic

values,thiscanespeciallybeseeninhisportrayals-howhe

could fill his art with life and "credit" while not becomingpoliticalpropagator(althoughhewasverydedicated).

The sentimentality of Derkovits Gyula's early

paintingwassoonsupersededbyamixtureofCubist

composition and (German) Expressionist concern.

HisSelf-portraitwithBishop'sMitre,exhibitedattheNational Gallery, Budapest, shows a hammer and

sickle in a five-pointed star on the mitre,

representinghisromanticpersonality.Thearchaic-

mythological 'ideal' world's counterpart appears in

his biblical compositions. In his Last Supper, also

exhibitedatthe NationalGallery,Budapest, the facesareallself-portraits,and this

artworkcanbetherollupofthebiblicalpaintings.(www.facebook.com)

AFTERTRIANON

In1923hesettledinViennaforthreeyears,hisbrotherhelpedhim.Heorganizedhis

ownexhibitionattheGalleryWeihburginFebruary1925withconsiderablesuccess.

InMay,heorganizedanexhibitioninBudapest,atMentorBookshopwherehecould

exposehisnewestworks.(www.artportal.hu)

Pspksvegesnarckp

1923

Utolsvacsora1922

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Viennameantanewperiodinhisart.Viennameantphysicalboredom.Thankstothe

new environment - the relatively "stable" (calculable?) financial background, the

freer political atmosphere and personal relationships - the sudden change in the

topics is obvious. The shift to fall, persecution, death and runaway are all hisindividualadaptationthatresemblesthevisionsoftheGermanExpressionism.

After 3 years of emigration, in 1926 he moved back. It was due to the Bethlen

consolidation that several artists escaped (e.g. Kassk, Kernstok, Berny, Bernth)

could return to Hungary. At the beginning, together with his wife they stayed at

temporary accommodation sites but found home in jpest. Stressed with never-

endingfinancialproblemshelookedforhisplaceintheworld("thefugitiveartist"),butwhatwasmoredepressingforhimisthepovertyofcultural-artisticlife(Bethlen

also consolidated thecultural life...) Only silence ruled. The intellectual stagnation

causedthedilutionofhisstyleandheturnedtoanotherdirection.

HejoinedtheKUTartgroupandslowlyhefoundsomemaecenas,buyers.TheFine

ArtMuseumbought"letshall"givingsomehopetotheeverdissatisfiedpainter,

thuscontinuingwithanewdynamismwhichevenifnotprovidingfinancialsecurity,

resultedinthecompletionofartisticdevelopment.AtErnstMuseum,heexhibited40

pictures in Budapest in 1927, and he was immediately ranked among the best

Hungarianpainters.(www.kieselbach.hu)

Theearliercubist-stylewasreplacedbyenhancingthedramaticshadowandlight

contrasts.ThiswasduetotheeffectsofthepoliticalexperiencesfromViennathat

appeared in Derkovits' art from 1928 and also, this was the time when he was

activelyinvolvedintheworkoftheillegalcommunistparty.

"Let therulingclasses trembleataCommunisticrevolution. Theproletarians have

nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working Men of All

Countries,Unite!"(KarlMarx,FriedrichEngels,TheCommunistManifesto,Chapt.IV)

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Leadingissuesofhisartwerethestreet

and home. The chaotic bustle of the

outside world or "genre scenes" of

everydaylifearebeingrepresentedinhisartworks.Workingmen-asakey

figure appear in paintings like

"Baromfivsr" (1929), "Halszok I"

(1929), showing lumpers or market

scenes. The sharp contrast (between

sweet home and the outside world's

rough whirl with a relative financialsecurity) is formed in his art.

(www.artportal.hu) The expressionist

compositionallowedlaxity-theviewer

isfacedwiththeoccasion.Bytheway,

thispainting'sstartingpriceatanauctionheldatVirgJudit'sGallerylastDecember,

was20millionFt-beingthehighestofitskind.(www.kultura.hu)

Itwasduringthisperiodwhenhemade(aftercommissionbythecommunistparty)

hismostsignificantgraphicwork,12woodengravingswhichshowDzsaGrgy's

peasants'revolt.(Later,in1931inspiredbythesameDzsa-series,hemadecopper

engravings)(www.hung-art.hu)

It is the synthesis of past and present, the actualization and assimilation of a

historical topic fused with modern art's lively intentions while giving birth to the

new age of Hungarian wood engravings. After a 25-year-long stagnation ofillustratinghistoricaltopicasanartisticmission,historicalrepresentationreturned

tothecenter,revivingHungary'sformerpursuit.Thiswasnotthesociety'sdesirebut

the political regime's that wanted to show its "family tree", highlight its "raison

d'etre".Derkovitsre-experiencedhislifewhileillustratingDzsa's-hisfeelingswere

stormingintheshadesofhistory.Theseworksnotonlyrepresenthissubjectiveself-

expressionsbutheopenstothepublicasanagitationofhis(political)views.(Krner

va,DerkovitsGyula,p.169,170,171)

HalszokI1929

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I.Menetelk II.Kaszafenparaszt III.Kapudngetk IV.Felkelparaszt

V.Dzsaavrfokon VI.sszecsaps VII.Leverets VIII.Mglyk

IX.Dzsaatzestrnon X.Verbczy XI.Lrinczpap XIa.Leltparasztok(unfinished)

Themessageoftheseseriesalsoappliestonowadaysandsucha representationof

thepast is still one of themost significant historical art pieces of Hungary. These

artworks truly show that suppression, poverty, inequity and injustice were in the

focus, not to forget radicalism. The design is "snippy" but powerful, the applied

technique(engraving)alsoemphasizesthis.Therearenotraditionaloil,aquarelleor

wallpaintings(heevenwouldnothavegotwall...)buthewasnotexceptional.Kassk

orkSndorworkedinthesethoughts,too.Theyallundertookpolitical"speaking"

butagain,thiswascompletelydifferentfromtheofficialtrianon-centricpriggishand

prissynationalwayofthinkingaccompaniedbythe19thcentury'sromanticpainting

tools.

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THE1930S

From the 1930s on, Derkovits "organizationally" no longer belonged to the

communists."Althoughhelaterlostactivecontact ... heremainedcommitted toits

ideals.Thisisreflectedintheiconographyofhiswork;evenhisearlyworks,mostof

whichareuntraced,showaconspicuoussocialconcern."(www.facebook.com)

Atthattime,theterm:politicizing,freeartistcouldnotexist,iftherehadbeenanyof

thiskindtheywouldhavemaderevolution,likethewriters,PetfiSndor'scircle...

From that time on, throughout the socialist era, showing free mindset, poverty,

plebeian radicalism and "raw" truth was a problem, moreover looking forinternational relations was a problem, too. You could live in a compliant manner

togetherwiththeofficialpolitics,deeplylockedintoyourworld.Andthat'sit...

Thedateof1930indicatesafirmbreakintheoeuvre,theimprisonment,theeviction

andthelossofhomefillhisworkswithdeeperandmore"authentic"drama.Hisfinal

period is best respresented by

"Vgzs" (1930), "Alv" (1932),"Kivgzs" (1932), "Vast mentn"

(1932), "Anya" (1934). During the

last years, he created an entirely

individualstyleforhimselfwiththe

combination of the strict editing,

lyric use of color and the inspired

portrayal. The Order, exhibited atthe National Gallery, Budapest can

be the finishing element of the

home-paintings showing a radical

socialtopic.Adoubleportrait'sthe

two poles (split between in and

out),appearsasasinistershadow-

thecouplereadingtheorderbythe

Vgzs

1930

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openwindowandtheshadowofthecatpointoutthetragicfear.Becauseofthetime

spentinjailandtheconstantdistress,povertyanddiseasesputanendtohislife.He

diedoftuberculosisin1934.(www.artportal.hu)

Hislastperiodwasauniquemixtureofrealismandabstraction.Hefusesthesocial-

criticalrealismandPlato'sidealrealismthatappearsinabstractconstructivism.This

"movement"workedononecondition:thepresentcontrastofrealityandidea.Butit

also needed relative freedom as well as spiritual perspective for perfect human

fulfillment.(Krnerva,DerkovitsGyula,p.293)

Derkovits Gyula was a very lonely person, a good artist but his destiny isunfortunately pretty typical. His fate is deeply tragic, his art is realistic, even

autobiographicallyinspirational.

Hewasrecognizedandglorifiedinthe1950s,theRkosieranominatedposthumous

himasthepainterofthenation-butitisnothisresponsibilityorfault,surelyhe

would have hated this "title". He fought against suppression and for freedom. He

producedhighqualityworksandwantedtobelongtotheEuropeanartworld.Rkosi

vainly glamorized Derkovits, actually he just expropriated the artist - he stole the

essential"features"ofhimasifthepartywastherepresentativeofpoorpeople.On

thecontrary,Derkovitsshowedtheinhumanityofpowermechanism,nomatterwho

controls (governs?). Poor Derkovits never saw what his favorite party became -

perhapsitisbetterthisway.But,itisforsurethatfree-mindedandactiveartistshad

notmuchtoexpectforatleast50years,thereforeDerkovits'destinyisstillordinary.

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Krnerva,DerkovitsGyula,Corvina,2ndedition,1968,p.17,21,45,169,170,171,293