Tuesday 25 November 2008

Hungarian Venus:Fürdő nő by Károly Lotz.


This is Fürdő nő (bathing woman) by Károly Lotz. Agent Triple P bought a nice reproduction of this, printed on canvas, at the National Gallery in Budapest where the original is on display.



Lotz (1833-1904), studied at the school of Karl Heinrich Rahl in Vienna after private studies with Marastoni and the workshop of Henrik Weber. As a talented pupil he was quickly given the opportunity to take part in the execution of Rahl's monumental fresco commissions and fresco painting became his speciality. Many of these can still be seen today in places like the Academy of Sciences, the Opera, the Casino, the Supreme Court and the Parliament building in Budapest.



Most of his nudes, like this one, After the Bath (1880), were done earlier in his career but Fürdő nő was painted in 1901. A late but very welcome addition!









He produced this trio of ripely abandoned bacchantes.


There was a fine tradition of nudes in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Hungarian painting and we will return to look at some other painters shortly. Agent Triple P would venture that this was no doubt down to the very fine potential material you can still find wafting around the streets of Budapest on a fine summers evening.




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