Self - Portrait - István Görgényi (1917 - 1973)
Often referred to as the "Hungarian Goya, painter István Görgényi is celebrated in Hungary for a haunting series of paintings he created during and shortly after the failed 1956 Hungarian uprising against Soviet occupation and Stalinist oppression, paintings that were subsequently hidden away in a basement for fear of reprisal. As far as I have been able to discover, the paintings remained hidden until the collapse of communism in Hungary in 1989.
Görgényi's paintings have been a staple attraction during Hungary's national remembrance of the failed rebellion against communism. Many cities and towns exhibit reproductions of the artist's 1956-themed works as part of their commemoration programs. The originals are often displayed in the capital during October. I like Görgényi's depictions of this noble yet tragic chapter in Hungarian history. The paintings do more than mirror or reflect - they strike at the spiritual essence of the uprising - at its nobility and virtue as well as at its eventual calamity and defeat.
Görgényi's paintings have been a staple attraction during Hungary's national remembrance of the failed rebellion against communism. Many cities and towns exhibit reproductions of the artist's 1956-themed works as part of their commemoration programs. The originals are often displayed in the capital during October. I like Görgényi's depictions of this noble yet tragic chapter in Hungarian history. The paintings do more than mirror or reflect - they strike at the spiritual essence of the uprising - at its nobility and virtue as well as at its eventual calamity and defeat.
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