Budapest Poster Gallery

1. Aukció

Lithography, 95x62 cm (37.4''x24.4''). Near mint condition, light fold marks.

Gyula Tornai was a central figure of Hungarian oriental painters. His master was Hans Makart in Vienna and Gyula Benczúr in Budapest at the end of the 19th century. Later on he achieved great success with his exotic paintings created using the experiences of the several journeys he went on. His favourite themes were the landscapes and the people of the Near East, India, Japan and China. He was a celebrated painter whose works were preferred by the members of high society, who were intrigued by his exotic themes.
He showed his works in 1917 at an exhibition in the National Salon. The poster was created for this occasion. The exhibition was highly scarified by the critics, led by Aladár Bálint, critic of Nyugat (West), saying that the naturalism of the 1870s was not relevant anymore. By now the 19th century oriental art is being analyzed from a different perspective by both the postcolonial criticism and art history. The talent of Gyula Tornai has been re-evaluated by the critics and the art trade: his colourful works carry great aesthetic values. What would be able to tell it better than the fact that in 2011, the start price of a large painting of Gyula Tornai was 1 million GBP at a Christie’s auction. The poster depicts one of Tornai’s typical characters and at the same time mirrors the artistic qualities of the painter.
The piece being on sales now has gotten to the Albertina Museum of Vienna from one of the most significant early private collections, the poster collection of Julius Paul.