partnereink
SOMOGYI, József
SOMOGYI, József
sculptor
(9 June, 1916, Félszerfalva – 2 Jan. 1993, Budapest) 1935-1936: Free School of Vilmos Aba Novák; 1936-1941: College of Fine Arts, Budapest, masters: István Réti and Zsigmond Strobl Kisfaludi. 1954: Kossuth Award; 1956: Munkácsy Award; 1958: Grand Award of the World Exhibition, Brussels (for his work entitled Táncolók /Dancers/, prepared together with Jenő Kerényi); 1965: Plaque of Tornya; 1966: Meritorious Artist Award; 1970: Outstanding Artist Award; 1971: The Award of the 3rd Small Sculpture International Biennial; 1976: Golden Award for Work Honor. 1978: Madách Award of Salgotarján; 1981: SZOT Award; 1982: the Pro Arte Award of the Budapest Székesfőváros; 1986: the Honor of Flags of the Republic of Hungary; 1991: Award for Hungarian Art. Somogyi studied to be a lawyer, but turned to art instead. In 1940, at the spring parlor of the Szinyei Society, his work entitled Örvösmedve (bear of Tibet) received honorable recognition. Between 1945 and 1963 he was a teacher of the High School of Fine and Applied Arts and from 1963 to 1993 a lecturer at the College of Fine Arts in Budapest, as well as the Rector thereof, between 1974 and 1987. Somogyi was the president of the Society of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists from 1968 to 1977, a member of the Presidential Board from 1975 to 1980, and the worldly head of the Hungarian Presbyterian Church from 1984 to 1992. From 1992 he was one of the founders and leading members of the Hungarian Arts Academy. In 1993 the Municipality of the city of Pápa opened the Somogyi József Gallery. The Body of Representatives of the Village of Ásványráró, in 1993, nominated him posthumously the honorary citizen of the village and named the elementary school of the village after the artist. Besides his significant participation in public life he also conducted very active art pedagogic work during his life. He attracted professional attention with his early animal sculptures prepared during the 1940’s. The Martinász /Smelter/, completed in 1953, was the first of his outstanding, period marking works, however was only erected on the main square of Dunaújváros seven years later. With his works prepared during the course of the 1960’s, primarily the sepulchral monument of Mednyánszky, in Budapest, the memorial of János Kovács Szántó, in Hódmezővásárhely, and the equestrian statue of Zrínyi, in Szigetvár he produced the main works of the monumental, nature orientated, figurative branch of sculpturing existent in Hungary, after 1945. An essential characteristic of his sculpturing is frame-like, constructed structuring. His figures are held in place by a pervasive and profound emotional charge, and rusticity of his handling of the works’ surfaces. Besides the works prepared for commissions, placed in public spaces, and made of bronze, composed with collage technique, the terracotta worldly and sacral small sculptures, bronze small sculptures, the relief and medallion works, and drawings prepared with diverse techniques, constitute a fundamental segment of his life work. The animal statues, village and biblical scenes, depictions of wine pressing, and the corpuses are the scenes enabling the depiction of lyrical emotions and dramatic tempered states.
One-Man Shows:
1946, 1947, 1948 • Municipal Centre of Popular Culture
1970 • XXXV. Biennial of Venice, Venice [with Gyula Hincz]
1971 • Budapest Historical Museum, Budapest
1972 • Helikon Gallery, Budapest
1973 • Medgyessy Hall, Hódmezővásárhely (HU) • Tokaj (HU)
1974 • Balassagyarmat (HU)
1977 • Gallery of Hatvan, Hatvan
1978 • Műcsarnok, Budapest [with Károly Reich]
1979 • Újpalota, Budapest
1983 • Műcsarnok, Győr (HU)
1985 • Gózon I. Community Centre, Kiskunhalas (HU)
1986 • Káptalant., Sopron (HU)
1998 • Calvinist Boarding School, Pápa (HU).
Memorial Exhibitions:
1994 • Pápa (HU) • Saint Michael’s Church, Veszprém (HU)
1996 • Museum of The Benedictine Abbey, Tihany (HU) • Mestermű Gallery, Veszprém (HU)• Ásványráró (HU)
1997 • Master and his Followers, Army Museum, Budapest.
Selected Group Exhibitions:
1948 • Towards the Public Art, Free Union of Fine Artists, Budapest
1950-1965 • 1-10. Hungarian Fine Art Exhibitions, Műcsarnok, Budapest
1971 • III. National Biennial of Small Sculpture, Pécs (HU) • New Works, Műcsarnok, Budapest
1975 • Jubilee Fine Art Exhibition, Műcsarnok, Budapest
1978 • Hungarian Sculpture Exhibition, Műcsarnok, Budapest.
Works in Public Places:
Lion (bronze, 1948, House of Parliament, Budapest)
Conceited Bear [limestone, 1950, Dunaújváros (HU]
Furnaceman (Martinász) [bronze, 1953, erected in 1960, Dunaújváros (HU)]
Abundance [1955, Sopron (HU)]
Navvy (bronze, 1955, Bajza Street, Budapest)
Peace [1956, Kazincbarcika (HU)]
Dózsa memorial [1958, Cegléd, transposed to Kiskunfélegyháza (HU)]
Dancers [with Jenő Kerényi] (1958, World Exhibition, Brussels)
TV-transmitting at Széchenyi Hill (bronze relief, 1959, Budapest)
Facade sculptures of the Madách Theatre [with Gyula Kiss Kovács and Jenő Kerényi] (1961, Budapest)
Christ (plaster, 1961, Cserépváralja, taken down)
Family (bronze, 1963, Óbuda, building estate, Budapest)
Leisured and Sporting Youth [terracotta relief, 1963, Szeged (HU)]
Kovács János Szántó [bronze, 1965, Hódmezővásárhely(HU)]
Girl with Foal (bronze, 1965, Gellért Hill, Budapest)
Maternity (bronze, 1965, Török Street, Budapest)
Liberation memorial [bronze, 1967, Salgótarján (HU)]
Corpus [bronze, 1967, Hollóháza (HU)]
Deers [bronze, 1968, Secondary School of Upper Tisza-bank, Szeged (HU)]
Miklós Zrínyi [bronze, 1968, Szigetvár (HU)]
Storks (bronze, 1968, Nursery School of Textile Works, Budapest)
Composition with Two Figures [bronze, 1968, Holiday Home of the Cabinet, Balatonöszöd (HU)]
Relief (bronze, 1969, Hungarian Radio, Budapest)
Gladiators (bronze, 1970, Budapest University of Technology, Budapest)
Tomb of Mednyánszky (bronze, 1970, Kerepesi Cemetery, Budapest)
Girl with Harp (bronze, 1971, Zichy Castle of Óbuda, Budapest)
Fischers [bronze, 1971, Siófok (HU)]
Recumbent Figure [bronze, 1971, Municipal Hospital, Baja (HU)]
György Dózsa [bronze, 1972, Kossuth Square, Cegléd (HU)]
Sándor Petőfi [bronze, 1973, Pápa (HU)]
Girl with Cello [bronze, 1973, Botanic Garden, Vácrátót (HU)]
Tomb of Ernő Mihályfi (bronze, 1974, Kerepesi Cemetery, Budapest)
Liberation memorial [bronze, 1975, Vác (HU)], Soviet heroic memorial [bronze, 1976, Miskolc (HU)]
Mother with Child (bronze, 1976, Kossuth Square, metro station, Budapest)
dr. Jenő Pólya (pirogranite, 1978, Saint Stephen Hospital, Budapest)
Reapers [bronze, 1979, Danube bank, Dunaújváros (HU)]
Béla Bartók portrait memorial (bronze, 1981, Budapest)
László Nagy memorial tablet [bronze, 1981, Sándor Petőfi Secondary School) , Pápa (HU)]
Wearied Man [bronze, 1983, Attila József Museum, Makó (HU)]
Nimród [bronze, 1983, Győr (HU)]
Memorial to the Victims of Fascism [with Finta Józseffel] (bronze, basalt, 1985, Conker Garden, Budapest)
Bust of Ferenc Rákóczi II (bronze, 1986, Rákóczi-memorial house, Tekirdag)
Rákóczi Ferenc II (bronze, 1986, Castle park, Sárospatak)
Three Graces (bronze, 1987, Kossuth street, Veszprém)
György Bessenyei bust [bronze, 1988, Sárospatak (HU)]
István Széchenyi (bronze, 1988, MÁVTI, Budapest)
Bálint Kocsi Csergő calvinist preacher [bronze, 1988, Pápa (HU)]
Mihály Vörösmarty [bronze, 1990, Sopron (HU)]
Saint Stephen [bronze, 1990, Szentistvántelep (HU)]
Memorial to the Victims of World War II [bronze, 1992, Ásványráró (HU)]
Péter Veres portrait (bronze, 1992 P. Veres Secondary School, Budapest).
Works in Public Collections:
Mór Jókai Community Centre, Pápa (HU)
Municipal Picture Gallery, Budapest
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest
József Somogyi Gallery, Pápa (HU).
Bibliography:
Németh, L.: Új monumentális művészet felé, Domanovszky Endre Kerény, Jenő és ~ művészetéről, Szépművészeti Múzeum, 1955/4.
Haits, G.: Somogyi József műtermében, Művészet, 1971/9.
Rózsa, Gy.: Tárlatvezetés ~ pesti szobrai között, Budapest, 1971/5.
Rózsa, Gy.: Szobrászatunk 30 esztendeje, avagy ~, Művészet, 1975/4.
Vitray, T.: Ötszemközt ~fel, Kritika, 1973/11.
Rózsa, Gy.: Somogyi-jegyzetek, Kritika, 1979/9.
1979/10.
Wehner, T.: Köztéri szobraink, Budapest, 1986
Kovács, P.: A tegnap szobrai. Fejezetek a magyar szobrászat közelmúltjából, Szombathely, 1992
Wehner, T.: Szárnyaló, üldögélő galamb. Vonások ~ szobrászművész életművéhez, Új Művészet, 1993/7.
Aba Novák, J.: ~ corpusai és pietái (cat. intro., Veszprém, 1994)
Aba Novák, J.: (cat. intro., Mester és tanítványai kiállítás, Hadtörténeti Múzeum, 1997).
sculptor
(9 June, 1916, Félszerfalva – 2 Jan. 1993, Budapest) 1935-1936: Free School of Vilmos Aba Novák; 1936-1941: College of Fine Arts, Budapest, masters: István Réti and Zsigmond Strobl Kisfaludi. 1954: Kossuth Award; 1956: Munkácsy Award; 1958: Grand Award of the World Exhibition, Brussels (for his work entitled Táncolók /Dancers/, prepared together with Jenő Kerényi); 1965: Plaque of Tornya; 1966: Meritorious Artist Award; 1970: Outstanding Artist Award; 1971: The Award of the 3rd Small Sculpture International Biennial; 1976: Golden Award for Work Honor. 1978: Madách Award of Salgotarján; 1981: SZOT Award; 1982: the Pro Arte Award of the Budapest Székesfőváros; 1986: the Honor of Flags of the Republic of Hungary; 1991: Award for Hungarian Art. Somogyi studied to be a lawyer, but turned to art instead. In 1940, at the spring parlor of the Szinyei Society, his work entitled Örvösmedve (bear of Tibet) received honorable recognition. Between 1945 and 1963 he was a teacher of the High School of Fine and Applied Arts and from 1963 to 1993 a lecturer at the College of Fine Arts in Budapest, as well as the Rector thereof, between 1974 and 1987. Somogyi was the president of the Society of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists from 1968 to 1977, a member of the Presidential Board from 1975 to 1980, and the worldly head of the Hungarian Presbyterian Church from 1984 to 1992. From 1992 he was one of the founders and leading members of the Hungarian Arts Academy. In 1993 the Municipality of the city of Pápa opened the Somogyi József Gallery. The Body of Representatives of the Village of Ásványráró, in 1993, nominated him posthumously the honorary citizen of the village and named the elementary school of the village after the artist. Besides his significant participation in public life he also conducted very active art pedagogic work during his life. He attracted professional attention with his early animal sculptures prepared during the 1940’s. The Martinász /Smelter/, completed in 1953, was the first of his outstanding, period marking works, however was only erected on the main square of Dunaújváros seven years later. With his works prepared during the course of the 1960’s, primarily the sepulchral monument of Mednyánszky, in Budapest, the memorial of János Kovács Szántó, in Hódmezővásárhely, and the equestrian statue of Zrínyi, in Szigetvár he produced the main works of the monumental, nature orientated, figurative branch of sculpturing existent in Hungary, after 1945. An essential characteristic of his sculpturing is frame-like, constructed structuring. His figures are held in place by a pervasive and profound emotional charge, and rusticity of his handling of the works’ surfaces. Besides the works prepared for commissions, placed in public spaces, and made of bronze, composed with collage technique, the terracotta worldly and sacral small sculptures, bronze small sculptures, the relief and medallion works, and drawings prepared with diverse techniques, constitute a fundamental segment of his life work. The animal statues, village and biblical scenes, depictions of wine pressing, and the corpuses are the scenes enabling the depiction of lyrical emotions and dramatic tempered states.
One-Man Shows:
1946, 1947, 1948 • Municipal Centre of Popular Culture
1970 • XXXV. Biennial of Venice, Venice [with Gyula Hincz]
1971 • Budapest Historical Museum, Budapest
1972 • Helikon Gallery, Budapest
1973 • Medgyessy Hall, Hódmezővásárhely (HU) • Tokaj (HU)
1974 • Balassagyarmat (HU)
1977 • Gallery of Hatvan, Hatvan
1978 • Műcsarnok, Budapest [with Károly Reich]
1979 • Újpalota, Budapest
1983 • Műcsarnok, Győr (HU)
1985 • Gózon I. Community Centre, Kiskunhalas (HU)
1986 • Káptalant., Sopron (HU)
1998 • Calvinist Boarding School, Pápa (HU).
Memorial Exhibitions:
1994 • Pápa (HU) • Saint Michael’s Church, Veszprém (HU)
1996 • Museum of The Benedictine Abbey, Tihany (HU) • Mestermű Gallery, Veszprém (HU)• Ásványráró (HU)
1997 • Master and his Followers, Army Museum, Budapest.
Selected Group Exhibitions:
1948 • Towards the Public Art, Free Union of Fine Artists, Budapest
1950-1965 • 1-10. Hungarian Fine Art Exhibitions, Műcsarnok, Budapest
1971 • III. National Biennial of Small Sculpture, Pécs (HU) • New Works, Műcsarnok, Budapest
1975 • Jubilee Fine Art Exhibition, Műcsarnok, Budapest
1978 • Hungarian Sculpture Exhibition, Műcsarnok, Budapest.
Works in Public Places:
Lion (bronze, 1948, House of Parliament, Budapest)
Conceited Bear [limestone, 1950, Dunaújváros (HU]
Furnaceman (Martinász) [bronze, 1953, erected in 1960, Dunaújváros (HU)]
Abundance [1955, Sopron (HU)]
Navvy (bronze, 1955, Bajza Street, Budapest)
Peace [1956, Kazincbarcika (HU)]
Dózsa memorial [1958, Cegléd, transposed to Kiskunfélegyháza (HU)]
Dancers [with Jenő Kerényi] (1958, World Exhibition, Brussels)
TV-transmitting at Széchenyi Hill (bronze relief, 1959, Budapest)
Facade sculptures of the Madách Theatre [with Gyula Kiss Kovács and Jenő Kerényi] (1961, Budapest)
Christ (plaster, 1961, Cserépváralja, taken down)
Family (bronze, 1963, Óbuda, building estate, Budapest)
Leisured and Sporting Youth [terracotta relief, 1963, Szeged (HU)]
Kovács János Szántó [bronze, 1965, Hódmezővásárhely(HU)]
Girl with Foal (bronze, 1965, Gellért Hill, Budapest)
Maternity (bronze, 1965, Török Street, Budapest)
Liberation memorial [bronze, 1967, Salgótarján (HU)]
Corpus [bronze, 1967, Hollóháza (HU)]
Deers [bronze, 1968, Secondary School of Upper Tisza-bank, Szeged (HU)]
Miklós Zrínyi [bronze, 1968, Szigetvár (HU)]
Storks (bronze, 1968, Nursery School of Textile Works, Budapest)
Composition with Two Figures [bronze, 1968, Holiday Home of the Cabinet, Balatonöszöd (HU)]
Relief (bronze, 1969, Hungarian Radio, Budapest)
Gladiators (bronze, 1970, Budapest University of Technology, Budapest)
Tomb of Mednyánszky (bronze, 1970, Kerepesi Cemetery, Budapest)
Girl with Harp (bronze, 1971, Zichy Castle of Óbuda, Budapest)
Fischers [bronze, 1971, Siófok (HU)]
Recumbent Figure [bronze, 1971, Municipal Hospital, Baja (HU)]
György Dózsa [bronze, 1972, Kossuth Square, Cegléd (HU)]
Sándor Petőfi [bronze, 1973, Pápa (HU)]
Girl with Cello [bronze, 1973, Botanic Garden, Vácrátót (HU)]
Tomb of Ernő Mihályfi (bronze, 1974, Kerepesi Cemetery, Budapest)
Liberation memorial [bronze, 1975, Vác (HU)], Soviet heroic memorial [bronze, 1976, Miskolc (HU)]
Mother with Child (bronze, 1976, Kossuth Square, metro station, Budapest)
dr. Jenő Pólya (pirogranite, 1978, Saint Stephen Hospital, Budapest)
Reapers [bronze, 1979, Danube bank, Dunaújváros (HU)]
Béla Bartók portrait memorial (bronze, 1981, Budapest)
László Nagy memorial tablet [bronze, 1981, Sándor Petőfi Secondary School) , Pápa (HU)]
Wearied Man [bronze, 1983, Attila József Museum, Makó (HU)]
Nimród [bronze, 1983, Győr (HU)]
Memorial to the Victims of Fascism [with Finta Józseffel] (bronze, basalt, 1985, Conker Garden, Budapest)
Bust of Ferenc Rákóczi II (bronze, 1986, Rákóczi-memorial house, Tekirdag)
Rákóczi Ferenc II (bronze, 1986, Castle park, Sárospatak)
Three Graces (bronze, 1987, Kossuth street, Veszprém)
György Bessenyei bust [bronze, 1988, Sárospatak (HU)]
István Széchenyi (bronze, 1988, MÁVTI, Budapest)
Bálint Kocsi Csergő calvinist preacher [bronze, 1988, Pápa (HU)]
Mihály Vörösmarty [bronze, 1990, Sopron (HU)]
Saint Stephen [bronze, 1990, Szentistvántelep (HU)]
Memorial to the Victims of World War II [bronze, 1992, Ásványráró (HU)]
Péter Veres portrait (bronze, 1992 P. Veres Secondary School, Budapest).
Works in Public Collections:
Mór Jókai Community Centre, Pápa (HU)
Municipal Picture Gallery, Budapest
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest
József Somogyi Gallery, Pápa (HU).
Bibliography:
Németh, L.: Új monumentális művészet felé, Domanovszky Endre Kerény, Jenő és ~ művészetéről, Szépművészeti Múzeum, 1955/4.
Haits, G.: Somogyi József műtermében, Művészet, 1971/9.
Rózsa, Gy.: Tárlatvezetés ~ pesti szobrai között, Budapest, 1971/5.
Rózsa, Gy.: Szobrászatunk 30 esztendeje, avagy ~, Művészet, 1975/4.
Vitray, T.: Ötszemközt ~fel, Kritika, 1973/11.
Rózsa, Gy.: Somogyi-jegyzetek, Kritika, 1979/9.
1979/10.
Wehner, T.: Köztéri szobraink, Budapest, 1986
Kovács, P.: A tegnap szobrai. Fejezetek a magyar szobrászat közelmúltjából, Szombathely, 1992
Wehner, T.: Szárnyaló, üldögélő galamb. Vonások ~ szobrászművész életművéhez, Új Művészet, 1993/7.
Aba Novák, J.: ~ corpusai és pietái (cat. intro., Veszprém, 1994)
Aba Novák, J.: (cat. intro., Mester és tanítványai kiállítás, Hadtörténeti Múzeum, 1997).
