Vaszary Rediscovered

A new exhibition of the works of János Vaszary, a foremost master of Hungarian fine art distinguished by great stylistic diversity, opening in the Hungarian National Gallery this Wednesday, presents seventy paintings out of which twenty-four were previously unknown to the public as well as to professionals.

The paintings encompass virtually the entirety of Vaszary’s oeuvre, from his early impressionistic period to his expressive compositions, from his art deco style in Paris to his Danube Promenade pictures and seaside scenes with a Mediterranean ambiance.

János Vaszary (1867–1939) is one of the most versatile figures of twentieth-century Hungarian art. In the late 1890s he was among the first representatives of the Secession in Hungary and later produced works in the impressionist, expressionist and art deco styles. His art was held in high esteem by his contemporaries as well as the critics and art historians of his time. The colorfulness of his pictures, his confident and forceful brushwork as well as ability to create a grand synthesis in form made Vaszary one of the most influential masters of his age both as an artist and a teacher.