8/6/2019 Derkovits Gyula
1/12
Derkovits Gyula 20 th century Hungary
Destiny: typical or ordinary? Bognr Alexandra
Art History - Politics
1894-1934
8/6/2019 Derkovits Gyula
2/12
2
DERKOVITSGYULA
ThispaperisgoingexamineaHungarianartist'slifeandworkinapoliticalcontext
thatexistedatthattime.Thequestionishowtypicalhisdestinywas.Theerawhichis going to be analyzed is the early 20th century, the 1st World War then the
dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the short-term Hungarian Soviet
RepublicfollowedbytheTrianonpeacetreatyandfinally,theregencyofHorthyall
hadtheireffectsontheculturallife-therefore,itisnotunusualthatsuchanartist,
who lived a relatively short life had 3 artistic periods, dealing with different
objectives,butstillfeltlonely.
Derkovits Gyula (1894-1934) was a Hungarian painter, printmaker and
draughtsman.HeestablishedhisuniquestyleafterWestern-Europeantraditionsat
thattime,mostlyafterexpressionism,cubismandconstructivism.Theactualpolitical
system,whichofcoursetriedtoestablishequalityandwealth-"allanimalsareequal
but some animals are more equal than others" as GeorgeOrwell wrote in Animal
Farm-appliedshowcaseactionsinordertogaincompletecontroloversocietyand
thesesteps"modified"Derkovits'sentimentalitytowardsart.
EARLYLIFE
Despite his artistic interest, he was trained as a carpenter (like his father), but
refusedtopursuethisvocationandasanattempttoescape,hevolunteeredforthe
armyduringWorldWar1.Hewassubsequentlygravelywounded,hislefthandwas
paralyzed and tuberculosis was diagnosed from which he suffered throughout hislife.In1916,asawarcasualty,hemovedtoBudapest,wherehegotaidforlivingand
alsoworkedasajoiner.(www.artportal.hu)
As a result of the World War, "the military collapse of the Habsburg monarchy
openedthewaytoarevolutionarytransformationofEastCentralEurope.Released
energiesfoundexpressionintwoforms:innationalorsocialrevolutions."(IstvnI.
Mcsy,TheEffectsofWorldWarI)
8/6/2019 Derkovits Gyula
3/12
3
Atthattime,therewasaprettystrongplebeian-leftistattitudeamongthesociety,
whosemostradicalrepresentativewasthecommunistparty.ThisisnotStalinism,
this is something stronger. Political resolution and even radicalism is hearty
welcomeeverywhere,butcanbedangerousincaseofHungary.Thus,hetriednottostayawayfrompolitics,butstayawayfromtheformsofdailypolitics.
As being a leftist thinker, Derkovits joined the Communist Party in 1918. The
communisttheorystatesthatonlytheworkingclasscansolvetheproblemcausedby
capitalism orthe "dictatorship ofthebourgeoisie", because it is the working class,
"theproletariat"whoproduceswealth.Generally,theaimisatransitiontoasociety
where there is no such thing as "social class", only equality. Communism, as allpolitical movement in theory sounds nice but nonviable. "How do you tell a
communist?Well,it'ssomeonewhoreadsMarxandLenin.Andhowdoyoutell an
anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin." said Ronald
Reagan in 1987, expressing that even though the goals of such a classless and
statelesssocialstructureisimagined,theimplementationisfarmorecomplicated.
Theprimaryreasonforjoiningthecommunistpartywasthatthisdecisionmeantan
opportunity to meet the company's intellectuals like Jzsef Attila or moreover,
establishingforeignrelations(emigrantsfromVienna).Heremainedalonewarrior
throughouthislife.Sincetherewasnointernetortvandevenradiohasjuststarted
getting more and more popular and widespread, the political forms of art could
appearonlyinpostersorinnewspaper-thiswasthewayofcommunication.The
question is, therefore, whethera real artistneeds to take a commitment in world
issues. And the answer is yes, he ought to, he can not hide in his own problems.
Harsh,radicalresolutionsalwayscharacterizedhisartsinceafteraneoclassicalstart,
heexpressedhimselfinexpressionism,cubismandevenconstructivismashaving
beenhighlightedintheintroductionoftheessay.
From1918DerkovitswastrainedatthefreeschoolsetupinHaris-kzwhereRippl-
RnaiJzsef,VedresMrkandKernstokKrolyproofread.Therehelearnttopaint
and do copper engravings and produced mostly pencil and tint drawings.
(www.terminartors.com)
8/6/2019 Derkovits Gyula
4/12
4
DuringthesucceedingHungarianSovietRepublicin1919heworkedonKernstok's
land and did not plan to return to the capital due to the atmosphere. As being an
artist,hepoliticizeswithhisartandhewantstheartistic lifetobeopenedtowhat
hasbeengoingonrecentlyintherealworld,insteadofniceivorytowers.
Hedidnotlook up on Kernstockas a kind ofrolemodel for him,but it should be
admitted that he had much to offer - he taught the basics of "painting-building",
realizedDerkovits'talentincompositionsandthusdirectedhimtothispath.What
he was mostly taken by is Kernstock's way of thinking - he made a connection
betweenartandpolitics,thereforearthasasocialrole.(Krnerva,DerkovitsGyula,
p.17)
The"RepublicofCouncils"(madeupofBolsheviksandleft-wingSocialDemocrats),
ledbyKunBla,insteadofwaitingforthedeusexmachina,officiallyrenouncedthe
territorialintegrityofHungary.
"When,promptedbyParis,RomaniaandCzechoslovakiaattackedKunsHungary,the
Hungarian counter-attack was successful and in the eastern half of what is today
Slovakia a Slovak Republic ofCouncilswasproclaimed, Georges Clemenceau, the
ChairmanofthePeaceConference,prevaileduponKuntostopfightingandevacuate
the territories occupied. That decision contributed to the fall of the Hungarian
Bolsheviks, who were eventually replaced by a conservative-leaning national
government, which was eventually summoned to Paris to be presented with the
terms of peace in January, 1920." (Gza Jeszenszky, The After-Life of the 1920
HungarianPeace,p.4)
TheresultwasapeacetreatysignedwithHungaryandfromthattimeonthename
"Trianon" became a household word. Extremist political tendencies like the
nowadayspopularJobbik party, oftenrefer toitasthemostunfairsettlementasit
brokeupthekingdom,reducedtheterritorytoitsthirdandattaching(againsttheir
will) several million Hungarians to neighbouring countries where they became
victims of discrimination. Repeating history always boosts people's nationality,
therefore,mentioning"Trianon"isagoodweaponforrevolution.
8/6/2019 Derkovits Gyula
5/12
5
Withthefallofthesovietrepublic,asallotherpoliticallycompromisinginstitutions,
the school in which Derkovits learnt had to break up. Students left the building
duringnight,hiding.1920isanimportantyear,Derkovitsgotmarriedwithamodel
fromthefreeschool,namedDombaiViktriawithwhomhehadbeengoingoutfor2years.Findingalife-longpartnerstrengthenedhiminhisbeliefsandconvincedhim
toundertakehis"character".Thisrelations'testimonyappearedinhislaterdouble
portraits.(Krnerva,DerkovitsGyula,p.21)
When Szobotka Imre travelled
abroad,heofferedhisstudio.From
that time on, Derkovits had theopportunity to paint larger
compositions. His first exhibition
wasopenedinNovember1922in
Gallery Belvedere exposing 70
artworks.Thiswasalsotheendof
his first artistic period. He was
under the influence of the neo-
Nazareneworldviews,whichwere
interpreted by the "Nyolcak". (An
art group formed by 8 artists,
looked for "new". Their art
originally stems from Czanne's works, but the aim was similar to some
contemporaryWesternEuropeans')(www.bibl.u-szeged.hu)
Paintings like "Koncert" (1921) or "Nagy fa alatt" (1922), both exhibited at the
NationalGallery,Budapest,evokestheidealharmonyofthelostParadiseandGolden
Age."Koncert"illustratesafewpeoplesittinginaring,withtheirbodynaked,the
paintingevokesthegolden-ageArcadia'sgenerality.Humancommunityisbasedon
theman-woman-childprinciplethatmakesupafamily.Themaninfrontofthem,
playing on the violoncello symbolizes not the fourth member, but completes the
musicalharmony'sidealimage.(Krnerva,DerkovitsGyula,p.45)
Koncert1921
8/6/2019 Derkovits Gyula
6/12
6
Derkovits' status, the poverty and hopelessnesswere opposed to cold, isolationist
politicsandofficialart,which"drools"anational-romanticbitternesswhilehaving
itssuppression.Hetriedtoescapefromthisbylookingfor
international art andpersonal relations but the depressedsearchingwasgrievousmostlybecauseofsuchisolation.His
subjects tell the same. He kept painting still lives - which
indicates that he desired classical genres but it was
impossibletoworkinpiece.Thus,hisportraits(andeven
hisstilllives)revealdeeptension.Hecreatedhighartistic
values,thiscanespeciallybeseeninhisportrayals-howhe
could fill his art with life and "credit" while not becomingpoliticalpropagator(althoughhewasverydedicated).
The sentimentality of Derkovits Gyula's early
paintingwassoonsupersededbyamixtureofCubist
composition and (German) Expressionist concern.
HisSelf-portraitwithBishop'sMitre,exhibitedattheNational Gallery, Budapest, shows a hammer and
sickle in a five-pointed star on the mitre,
representinghisromanticpersonality.Thearchaic-
mythological 'ideal' world's counterpart appears in
his biblical compositions. In his Last Supper, also
exhibitedatthe NationalGallery,Budapest, the facesareallself-portraits,and this
artworkcanbetherollupofthebiblicalpaintings.(www.facebook.com)
AFTERTRIANON
In1923hesettledinViennaforthreeyears,hisbrotherhelpedhim.Heorganizedhis
ownexhibitionattheGalleryWeihburginFebruary1925withconsiderablesuccess.
InMay,heorganizedanexhibitioninBudapest,atMentorBookshopwherehecould
exposehisnewestworks.(www.artportal.hu)
Pspksvegesnarckp
1923
Utolsvacsora1922
8/6/2019 Derkovits Gyula
7/12
7
Viennameantanewperiodinhisart.Viennameantphysicalboredom.Thankstothe
new environment - the relatively "stable" (calculable?) financial background, the
freer political atmosphere and personal relationships - the sudden change in the
topics is obvious. The shift to fall, persecution, death and runaway are all hisindividualadaptationthatresemblesthevisionsoftheGermanExpressionism.
After 3 years of emigration, in 1926 he moved back. It was due to the Bethlen
consolidation that several artists escaped (e.g. Kassk, Kernstok, Berny, Bernth)
could return to Hungary. At the beginning, together with his wife they stayed at
temporary accommodation sites but found home in jpest. Stressed with never-
endingfinancialproblemshelookedforhisplaceintheworld("thefugitiveartist"),butwhatwasmoredepressingforhimisthepovertyofcultural-artisticlife(Bethlen
also consolidated thecultural life...) Only silence ruled. The intellectual stagnation
causedthedilutionofhisstyleandheturnedtoanotherdirection.
HejoinedtheKUTartgroupandslowlyhefoundsomemaecenas,buyers.TheFine
ArtMuseumbought"letshall"givingsomehopetotheeverdissatisfiedpainter,
thuscontinuingwithanewdynamismwhichevenifnotprovidingfinancialsecurity,
resultedinthecompletionofartisticdevelopment.AtErnstMuseum,heexhibited40
pictures in Budapest in 1927, and he was immediately ranked among the best
Hungarianpainters.(www.kieselbach.hu)
Theearliercubist-stylewasreplacedbyenhancingthedramaticshadowandlight
contrasts.ThiswasduetotheeffectsofthepoliticalexperiencesfromViennathat
appeared in Derkovits' art from 1928 and also, this was the time when he was
activelyinvolvedintheworkoftheillegalcommunistparty.
"Let therulingclasses trembleataCommunisticrevolution. Theproletarians have
nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working Men of All
Countries,Unite!"(KarlMarx,FriedrichEngels,TheCommunistManifesto,Chapt.IV)
8/6/2019 Derkovits Gyula
8/12
8
Leadingissuesofhisartwerethestreet
and home. The chaotic bustle of the
outside world or "genre scenes" of
everydaylifearebeingrepresentedinhisartworks.Workingmen-asakey
figure appear in paintings like
"Baromfivsr" (1929), "Halszok I"
(1929), showing lumpers or market
scenes. The sharp contrast (between
sweet home and the outside world's
rough whirl with a relative financialsecurity) is formed in his art.
(www.artportal.hu) The expressionist
compositionallowedlaxity-theviewer
isfacedwiththeoccasion.Bytheway,
thispainting'sstartingpriceatanauctionheldatVirgJudit'sGallerylastDecember,
was20millionFt-beingthehighestofitskind.(www.kultura.hu)
Itwasduringthisperiodwhenhemade(aftercommissionbythecommunistparty)
hismostsignificantgraphicwork,12woodengravingswhichshowDzsaGrgy's
peasants'revolt.(Later,in1931inspiredbythesameDzsa-series,hemadecopper
engravings)(www.hung-art.hu)
It is the synthesis of past and present, the actualization and assimilation of a
historical topic fused with modern art's lively intentions while giving birth to the
new age of Hungarian wood engravings. After a 25-year-long stagnation ofillustratinghistoricaltopicasanartisticmission,historicalrepresentationreturned
tothecenter,revivingHungary'sformerpursuit.Thiswasnotthesociety'sdesirebut
the political regime's that wanted to show its "family tree", highlight its "raison
d'etre".Derkovitsre-experiencedhislifewhileillustratingDzsa's-hisfeelingswere
stormingintheshadesofhistory.Theseworksnotonlyrepresenthissubjectiveself-
expressionsbutheopenstothepublicasanagitationofhis(political)views.(Krner
va,DerkovitsGyula,p.169,170,171)
HalszokI1929
8/6/2019 Derkovits Gyula
9/12
9
I.Menetelk II.Kaszafenparaszt III.Kapudngetk IV.Felkelparaszt
V.Dzsaavrfokon VI.sszecsaps VII.Leverets VIII.Mglyk
IX.Dzsaatzestrnon X.Verbczy XI.Lrinczpap XIa.Leltparasztok(unfinished)
Themessageoftheseseriesalsoappliestonowadaysandsucha representationof
thepast is still one of themost significant historical art pieces of Hungary. These
artworks truly show that suppression, poverty, inequity and injustice were in the
focus, not to forget radicalism. The design is "snippy" but powerful, the applied
technique(engraving)alsoemphasizesthis.Therearenotraditionaloil,aquarelleor
wallpaintings(heevenwouldnothavegotwall...)buthewasnotexceptional.Kassk
orkSndorworkedinthesethoughts,too.Theyallundertookpolitical"speaking"
butagain,thiswascompletelydifferentfromtheofficialtrianon-centricpriggishand
prissynationalwayofthinkingaccompaniedbythe19thcentury'sromanticpainting
tools.
8/6/2019 Derkovits Gyula
10/12
10
THE1930S
From the 1930s on, Derkovits "organizationally" no longer belonged to the
communists."Althoughhelaterlostactivecontact ... heremainedcommitted toits
ideals.Thisisreflectedintheiconographyofhiswork;evenhisearlyworks,mostof
whichareuntraced,showaconspicuoussocialconcern."(www.facebook.com)
Atthattime,theterm:politicizing,freeartistcouldnotexist,iftherehadbeenanyof
thiskindtheywouldhavemaderevolution,likethewriters,PetfiSndor'scircle...
From that time on, throughout the socialist era, showing free mindset, poverty,
plebeian radicalism and "raw" truth was a problem, moreover looking forinternational relations was a problem, too. You could live in a compliant manner
togetherwiththeofficialpolitics,deeplylockedintoyourworld.Andthat'sit...
Thedateof1930indicatesafirmbreakintheoeuvre,theimprisonment,theeviction
andthelossofhomefillhisworkswithdeeperandmore"authentic"drama.Hisfinal
period is best respresented by
"Vgzs" (1930), "Alv" (1932),"Kivgzs" (1932), "Vast mentn"
(1932), "Anya" (1934). During the
last years, he created an entirely
individualstyleforhimselfwiththe
combination of the strict editing,
lyric use of color and the inspired
portrayal. The Order, exhibited atthe National Gallery, Budapest can
be the finishing element of the
home-paintings showing a radical
socialtopic.Adoubleportrait'sthe
two poles (split between in and
out),appearsasasinistershadow-
thecouplereadingtheorderbythe
Vgzs
1930
8/6/2019 Derkovits Gyula
11/12
11
openwindowandtheshadowofthecatpointoutthetragicfear.Becauseofthetime
spentinjailandtheconstantdistress,povertyanddiseasesputanendtohislife.He
diedoftuberculosisin1934.(www.artportal.hu)
Hislastperiodwasauniquemixtureofrealismandabstraction.Hefusesthesocial-
criticalrealismandPlato'sidealrealismthatappearsinabstractconstructivism.This
"movement"workedononecondition:thepresentcontrastofrealityandidea.Butit
also needed relative freedom as well as spiritual perspective for perfect human
fulfillment.(Krnerva,DerkovitsGyula,p.293)
Derkovits Gyula was a very lonely person, a good artist but his destiny isunfortunately pretty typical. His fate is deeply tragic, his art is realistic, even
autobiographicallyinspirational.
Hewasrecognizedandglorifiedinthe1950s,theRkosieranominatedposthumous
himasthepainterofthenation-butitisnothisresponsibilityorfault,surelyhe
would have hated this "title". He fought against suppression and for freedom. He
producedhighqualityworksandwantedtobelongtotheEuropeanartworld.Rkosi
vainly glamorized Derkovits, actually he just expropriated the artist - he stole the
essential"features"ofhimasifthepartywastherepresentativeofpoorpeople.On
thecontrary,Derkovitsshowedtheinhumanityofpowermechanism,nomatterwho
controls (governs?). Poor Derkovits never saw what his favorite party became -
perhapsitisbetterthisway.But,itisforsurethatfree-mindedandactiveartistshad
notmuchtoexpectforatleast50years,thereforeDerkovits'destinyisstillordinary.
8/6/2019 Derkovits Gyula
12/12
12
REFERENCES
DerkovitsGyulaPage,Facebook,accessed:2011.04.23:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Derkovits-Gyula/102535113133878
RonaldReagan:Inhisownwords,BBCNews,accessed2011.04.23:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3780871.stm
DerkovitsGyulaartist'sprofile,Terminartors,accessed2011.04.23:http://www.terminartors.com/artistprofile/Derkovits_Gyula
ANyolcakfestszete,bibl.u-szeged,accessed2011.04.23:http://www.bibl.u-szeged.hu/ha/muveszet/nyolcak.html
DerkovitsGyula,bibl.u-szeged,accessed2011.04.23:http://www.bibl.u-szeged.hu/ha/muveszet/derkovits/derkovits.html
DerkovitsGyula,artportal.hu,accessed2011.04.23:http://artportal.hu/kislexikon/derkovits_gyula
DerkovitsGyula:Miketten,Kieselbach,accessed2011.04.24:http://www.kieselbach.hu/cgi-
bin/kieselbach.cgi?MENUID=HIREK&HIRID=1234&ARCHIV=&KATID=284
Sokatrnekahalszok,kultra.hu,acessed2011.04.24:http://kultura.hu/main.php?folderID=948&ctag=articlelist&iid=1&articleID=308426
IstvnI.Mcsy:TheEffectsofWorldWarI,Chapter1,3,6,onlineversion:http://www.hungarianhistory.com/lib/mocsy/
GzaJeszenszky:TheAfter-Lifeofthe1920HungarianPeace,p.4
GeorgeOrwell,AnimalFarm,PenguinGroup(UK),1987,p.90
KarlMarx,FriedrichEngels,TheCommunistManifesto,ChapterIV,onlineversion:http://books.google.hu/books?id=DFSevbr6VJgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=communist+manifesto#v
=onepage&q&f=false
DerkovitsGyula,KpmvszetMagyarorszgon,accessed2011.04.24:http://www.hung-art.hu/frames.html?/magyar/d/derkovit/muvek/dozsa/index.html
Krnerva,DerkovitsGyula,Corvina,2ndedition,1968,p.17,21,45,169,170,171,293