Béla Kondor Painting Not Seen for 40 Years Auctioned

In addition to a painting by Béla Kondor that has not been seen for four decades, a major work by Jenő Gábor and a still life by Dezső Czigány are also on offer at the spring auction of the Virág Judit Gallery in Budapest.

The Virág Judit Gallery will hold its 75th Spring Auction of outstanding works of 19th and 20th century painting on 13 May at the Budapest Congress Centre, while the following day the public will be able to bid for contemporary works, the gallery said in a statement on Thursday.

Béla Kondor's Two Heads (Model Release) has appeared on the market after 40 years. The last time the public saw the painting was in 1984, after which it disappeared from the view of art historians. As they wrote, Béla Kondor's oeuvre is small, so the appearance of a single painting of his is as interesting as the appearance of a Csontváry painting. Kondor's work, painted in 1958 and with a suggestive meaning, will start from an asking price of HUF 38 million at the May auction.

It is rare to find a work by Jenő Gábor at auction, which is why there is great interest in one of the artist's major works, the monumental painting July 14 in Paris, one of the most important works of art deco, the statement said.

Jenő Gábor painted the picture during his stay in Paris and captured the moment when liberated Parisians celebrate the anniversary of the Bastille siege, the day of the Revolution, with a street party. Jenő Gábor presented his painting to the public in Pécs in 1927, but the work also travelled to the Genoa exhibition of modern Hungarian art. The painting starts from an estimated starting price of 36 million forints, with an estimated value of between HUF 50-80 million.

The spring auction will also include a painting by Dezső Czigány, Still Life with a Chinese Vase, dating from around 1920. The artist was a master of still lifes and his works are outstanding examples of European modernism. The painting starts at HUF 18 million, with an estimated value of HUF 30-40 million. Both auctions are open to the public free of charge from 29 April to 12 May at the Judit Virág Gallery.