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MEDGYESSY, Ferenc
MEDGYESSY, Ferenc
Sculptor
(Debrecen, 10th January, 1881 – Budapest, 20th July, 1958) Between 1899 and 1905 Medgyessy studied at the Medical University of Budapest. Between 1905 and 1907 he studied in Paris at the Julian Academy, the Colarossi, the Grand Chaumiére Free School, and the Academy des Beaux-Arts. His masters were J.P. Laurens and J.C. Chaplain. In 1912 he received the Szaczalláry Award of the Művészház /House of Arts/ and the Nude Award of Károly Barta. 1931: Szinyei Prize; 1934: Greguss Award; 1935: the Golden Award of the World Exhibition of Brussels; 1937: Grand Prix at the World Exhibition of Paris; 1944: Artistic Award of the Hungarian Academy of Arts; 1948: Kossuth Award; 1954: Tornyai Award in Hódmezővásárhely; 1955: Outstanding Artist Award; 1957: Kossuth Award. He traveled on study tours to Paris and Florence between 1909 and 1910. From 1911 up until his death he was a resident of the Artistic Camp found on Százados Street. Between 1915 and 1917 he was a military doctor on the Galician Front; he also prepared a number of sepulchers. In 1919 he was a lecturer at the proletarian Fine Arts Workshop. From 1913 onwards he was a member of the Majolica and Clay Industrial Colony of Hódmezővásárhely. Between 1910 and 1914 he was a member of the Művészház (House of Arts) of Budapest, then between 1924 and 1927 of the one located in Debrecen. He was one of the founding members of the Képzőművészek Új Társasága /New Society of Fine Artists/ and the Ady Society of Debrecen. Medgyessy had a secure and certain program when returning home to Hungary in 1910, which he remained loyal to throughout his career. He was aware of what he needed to do in order to develop and uphold his unique style. He considered the simplicity and monumental likeness of eastern arts his aesthetic norm, and followed this ideal in his own works. His stone sculptures are characterized by simplicity, monumental and stone mass characteristics and a one-viewpoint based compositional method, e.g.: Kövér Gondolkodó /Fat Thinker/, Pihenő Lányka /Resting young girl/. His relief works entitled Léda-hattyú /Leda and swan/, the Három grácia /Three gracias/ and the Táncolók /Dancers/ recalled the figures, themes and technical solutions of the Etruscans, the Romans and the ancient Greeks. The representation of the working man, the creator, during the course of the creational process was one of the main themes of Medgyessy’s humane-filled works. The work entitled Suroló Nő /Washing Woman/ holds even social critique. He produced something new in both memorial-sculpturing as well as being one of Hungary’s most pioneering equestrian sculptors. His work entitled Kis Lovas /Small Horseman/ and the second version of it prepared in 1922, as well as the Ágaskodó lovas /Rearing Horseman/ of 1917 meant a split from neo-baroque. He asserted a clear plastic language, in which the relationship of two bodies to one another became the most important element. The climax of his oeuvre is the group of statues found in front of the Museum in Dér produced in 1930. The four sculptures are monumental not only through their size, but also their sense of balance, calm dignity, and solemnity as well as their affirmation of life. The lyricism of his works is coupled with massiveness, sensual beauty with high level content, and symbolic force. Medgyessy made use of all his wit to ensure that his works became noble to the many-sided, contradictory city of Budapest, with its grandiose history, the significance of which in fine arts terms was added to greatly with these sculptures. The four figures, through the allegorical vindication of rhythm, mass, and sensuality form a single unit. One of the best traits of the artist is the proper interpretation of the relationship between the part and whole, the creation of the unity of space, building and sculpture. In this sense it is not the building, but rather the sculpture itself, which is dominant. These three reclining nude sculptures constitute the climax of the career of Medgyessy, and have a significant place in modern sculpturing as a whole. The synthesis of antic art and the effects of twentieth century modern sculpturing was what made unique through the artistic personality of Medgyessy. He consistently developed his own oeuvre, forming virtue out of his mistakes and incorporating them into his jovial personality. He had the courage to produce only sculptures and the power to deal solely with the devices of the fine arts. His new method of dealing with sculpturing made his art as modern as it is, and brought it to such universal levels. Medgyessy was one of the reformers of Hungarian sculpturing, his ambitions linked him to the French Maillol and Despiau. Even his small sized sculptures contain power, which stretch the spaces surrounding them, which is why his representation of danced, mothers, and children where capable of being enlarged and erected in public spaces years later.
(Translation: Vladimir Végh)
(Debrecen, 10th January, 1881 – Budapest, 20th July, 1958) Between 1899 and 1905 Medgyessy studied at the Medical University of Budapest. Between 1905 and 1907 he studied in Paris at the Julian Academy, the Colarossi, the Grand Chaumiére Free School, and the Academy des Beaux-Arts. His masters were J.P. Laurens and J.C. Chaplain. In 1912 he received the Szaczalláry Award of the Művészház /House of Arts/ and the Nude Award of Károly Barta. 1931: Szinyei Prize; 1934: Greguss Award; 1935: the Golden Award of the World Exhibition of Brussels; 1937: Grand Prix at the World Exhibition of Paris; 1944: Artistic Award of the Hungarian Academy of Arts; 1948: Kossuth Award; 1954: Tornyai Award in Hódmezővásárhely; 1955: Outstanding Artist Award; 1957: Kossuth Award. He traveled on study tours to Paris and Florence between 1909 and 1910. From 1911 up until his death he was a resident of the Artistic Camp found on Százados Street. Between 1915 and 1917 he was a military doctor on the Galician Front; he also prepared a number of sepulchers. In 1919 he was a lecturer at the proletarian Fine Arts Workshop. From 1913 onwards he was a member of the Majolica and Clay Industrial Colony of Hódmezővásárhely. Between 1910 and 1914 he was a member of the Művészház (House of Arts) of Budapest, then between 1924 and 1927 of the one located in Debrecen. He was one of the founding members of the Képzőművészek Új Társasága /New Society of Fine Artists/ and the Ady Society of Debrecen. Medgyessy had a secure and certain program when returning home to Hungary in 1910, which he remained loyal to throughout his career. He was aware of what he needed to do in order to develop and uphold his unique style. He considered the simplicity and monumental likeness of eastern arts his aesthetic norm, and followed this ideal in his own works. His stone sculptures are characterized by simplicity, monumental and stone mass characteristics and a one-viewpoint based compositional method, e.g.: Kövér Gondolkodó /Fat Thinker/, Pihenő Lányka /Resting young girl/. His relief works entitled Léda-hattyú /Leda and swan/, the Három grácia /Three gracias/ and the Táncolók /Dancers/ recalled the figures, themes and technical solutions of the Etruscans, the Romans and the ancient Greeks. The representation of the working man, the creator, during the course of the creational process was one of the main themes of Medgyessy’s humane-filled works. The work entitled Suroló Nő /Washing Woman/ holds even social critique. He produced something new in both memorial-sculpturing as well as being one of Hungary’s most pioneering equestrian sculptors. His work entitled Kis Lovas /Small Horseman/ and the second version of it prepared in 1922, as well as the Ágaskodó lovas /Rearing Horseman/ of 1917 meant a split from neo-baroque. He asserted a clear plastic language, in which the relationship of two bodies to one another became the most important element. The climax of his oeuvre is the group of statues found in front of the Museum in Dér produced in 1930. The four sculptures are monumental not only through their size, but also their sense of balance, calm dignity, and solemnity as well as their affirmation of life. The lyricism of his works is coupled with massiveness, sensual beauty with high level content, and symbolic force. Medgyessy made use of all his wit to ensure that his works became noble to the many-sided, contradictory city of Budapest, with its grandiose history, the significance of which in fine arts terms was added to greatly with these sculptures. The four figures, through the allegorical vindication of rhythm, mass, and sensuality form a single unit. One of the best traits of the artist is the proper interpretation of the relationship between the part and whole, the creation of the unity of space, building and sculpture. In this sense it is not the building, but rather the sculpture itself, which is dominant. These three reclining nude sculptures constitute the climax of the career of Medgyessy, and have a significant place in modern sculpturing as a whole. The synthesis of antic art and the effects of twentieth century modern sculpturing was what made unique through the artistic personality of Medgyessy. He consistently developed his own oeuvre, forming virtue out of his mistakes and incorporating them into his jovial personality. He had the courage to produce only sculptures and the power to deal solely with the devices of the fine arts. His new method of dealing with sculpturing made his art as modern as it is, and brought it to such universal levels. Medgyessy was one of the reformers of Hungarian sculpturing, his ambitions linked him to the French Maillol and Despiau. Even his small sized sculptures contain power, which stretch the spaces surrounding them, which is why his representation of danced, mothers, and children where capable of being enlarged and erected in public spaces years later.
(Translation: Vladimir Végh)
