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| Mednyánszky met the Austrian artist ] in 1863 when Ender visited the chateau at Strážky. Ender took an interest in Mednyánszky's early efforts at drawing, lending his assistance to improve Mednyánszky's skills. | Mednyánszky met the Austrian artist ] in 1863 when Ender visited the chateau at Strážky. Ender took an interest in Mednyánszky's early efforts at drawing, lending his assistance to improve Mednyánszky's skills. | ||
| Mednyánszky attended a grammar school in ], near his home, then attended the ] (Academy of Fine Arts) in Munich in 1872—1873. Dissatisfied in Munich, he moved to Paris to attend the ]. After the death of his professor, ], in 1875, Mednyánszky left the École and began practicing independently from ]. | Mednyánszky attended a grammar school in ], near his home, then attended the ] (Academy of Fine Arts) in Munich in 1872—1873. Dissatisfied in Munich, he moved to Paris to attend the ]. After the death of his professor, ], in 1875, Mednyánszky left the École and began practicing independently from ]. | ||
| Mednyánszky returned to Strážky after 1877 to continue painting, and subsequently travelled widely in Europe, between his childhood homes in Slovakia and ], ], Paris and beyond. Mednyánszky visited the ] artists' colony in the autumn of 1877 and ] in 1878. His mother died in 1883, after which he lived in seclusion in ] in Slovakia. He returned to Strážky in 1887 to help deal with an outbreak of ] but soon fell ill himself, with ]. He spent much of 1889-1892 in Paris and returned regularly to Strážky until 1900. His father, Eduard, died in 1895. Mednyánszky held his only solo exhibition at the ] in Paris in 1897. For the years 1905-1911 he lived in Budapest, then later moved to Vienna. | Mednyánszky returned to Strážky after 1877 to continue painting, and subsequently travelled widely in Europe, between his childhood homes in Slovakia and ], ], Paris and beyond. Mednyánszky visited the ] artists' colony in the autumn of 1877 and ] in 1878. His mother died in 1883, after which he lived in seclusion in ] in Slovakia. He returned to Strážky in 1887 to help deal with an outbreak of ] but soon fell ill himself, with ]. He spent much of 1889-1892 in Paris and returned regularly to Strážky until 1900. His father, Eduard, died in 1895. Mednyánszky held his only solo exhibition at the ] in Paris in 1897. For the years 1905-1911 he lived in Budapest, then later moved to Vienna. | ||
| When the ] broke out in 1914, Mednyánszky was in Budapest again. He worked as a ] on the Austro-Hungarian frontlines in Galicia, Serbia and the southern Tirol. In the spring of 1918 he returned to Strážky to recover from war wounds. After spending some time working in Budapest, Mednyánszky died in poor health in the spring of 1919, in Vienna. |
When the ] broke out in 1914, Mednyánszky was in Budapest again. He worked as a ] on the Austro-Hungarian frontlines in Galicia, Serbia and the southern Tirol. In the spring of 1918 he returned to Strážky to recover from war wounds. After spending some time working in Budapest, Mednyánszky died in poor health in the spring of 1919, in Vienna. | ||
| ==Works== | ==Works== | ||
Revision as of 14:56, 26 July 2007
Baron Ladislaus Josephus Balthasar Eustachius Mednyánszky (23rd April 1852 - 19th April 1919), commonly referred to by his Hungarian birth name, László Mednyánszky, or his Slovakian name, Ladislav Medňanský, was a Hungarian-Slovakian painter in the Impressionist tradition. Despite an aristocratic background, he spent most of his life moving around Europe working as an artist. Mednyánszky spent considerable periods in seclusion but became involved in efforts to deal with a cholera outbreak in Austria-Hungary during 1887. He mingled with people across society - in the aristocracy, art world, peasantry and army - many of whom became the subjects of his paintings. His most important works depict scenes of nature and poor, working people, particularly from his home region in north-eastern Slovakia.
Biography
Mednyánszky was born in Beckov (Hungarian: Beckó) in modern-day Slovakia, to Eduard Mednyánszky and Maria Anna Mednyánszky, (née Szirmay) both from landowning families. Mednyánszky's family moved in 1861 to the chateau of his grandfather, Baltazár Szirmay, at Strážky, near Spišská Belá in north-eastern Slovakia. This was to be the setting for many of his works.
Mednyánszky met the Austrian artist Thomas Ender in 1863 when Ender visited the chateau at Strážky. Ender took an interest in Mednyánszky's early efforts at drawing, lending his assistance to improve Mednyánszky's skills.
Mednyánszky attended a grammar school in Kežmarok, near his home, then attended the Akademie der Bildenden Künste (Academy of Fine Arts) in Munich in 1872—1873. Dissatisfied in Munich, he moved to Paris to attend the École des Beaux-Arts. After the death of his professor, Isidore-Alexandre Augustin Pils, in 1875, Mednyánszky left the École and began practicing independently from Montmartre.
Mednyánszky returned to Strážky after 1877 to continue painting, and subsequently travelled widely in Europe, between his childhood homes in Slovakia and Budapest, Vienna, Paris and beyond. Mednyánszky visited the Szolnok artists' colony in the autumn of 1877 and Italy in 1878. His mother died in 1883, after which he lived in seclusion in Nagyőr in Slovakia. He returned to Strážky in 1887 to help deal with an outbreak of cholera but soon fell ill himself, with pneumonia. He spent much of 1889-1892 in Paris and returned regularly to Strážky until 1900. His father, Eduard, died in 1895. Mednyánszky held his only solo exhibition at the Galerie Georges Petit in Paris in 1897. For the years 1905-1911 he lived in Budapest, then later moved to Vienna.
When the First World War broke out in 1914, Mednyánszky was in Budapest again. He worked as a war correspondent on the Austro-Hungarian frontlines in Galicia, Serbia and the southern Tirol. In the spring of 1918 he returned to Strážky to recover from war wounds. After spending some time working in Budapest, Mednyánszky died in poor health in the spring of 1919, in Vienna.
Works
Mednyánszky's works were largely in the Impressionist tradition, with influences from Symbolismand Art Nouveau. His works depict landscape scenes of nature, the weather and everyday, poor people such as peasants and workmen. The region of his birth, north-eastern Slovakia (at the time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), was the site and subject of many of his paintings; scenes from the Carpathian Mountains and the Hungarian Plains are numerous. He also painted portraits of his friends and family, and images of soldiers during the First World War whilst working as a war correspondent.
His works are currently displayed in the Slovak National Gallery in Bratislava, which received a large collection in a bequest from his nephew Margita Czóbel in 1972, and in the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest. A large number of his works were destroyed during the Second World War.
List of works
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See also
External links
Fine Arts in Hungary: Works by László Mednyánszky
References
- Fine Arts in Hungary: MEDNYÁNSZKY, László - Slovakian National Gallery Online: Ladislav Mednyánszky and Strážky