The Romantic Everyday

9/27/2021

Born into a Hungarian-Jewish family, Sándor Bihari (1855-1906) was awarded the Order of Franz Joseph for his artistic contributions to the empire. His work has sunk into relative obscurity beyond Central Europe since then.

Though there is nothing particularly unique or striking about his paintings, I feel Bihari did possess an admirable talent for capturing everyday (one could say romanticized) scenes of common people in fin de sciecle Austria-Hungary.

On the Porch - c. 1900

Sunday Afternoon - 1893

3 Comments

Sasha Melnik

9/27/2021 21:38:52

In all honesty seeing it makes me sentimental... The pictures have a quality of something that is next door and yet invisible. The coo-coo of a widgeon in the shade of a summertime oak. The clink of glasses being refilled and a child laughing. I should take up smoking (cigars or pipe) and try to see if I can find it.

That Middle Europe of two centuries ago.

Francis Berger

9/28/2021 15:12:58

@ Sasha - I imagine most people would consider the scenes as sentimental, but unlike you, they would do so from a purely negative perspective (the emotions in the painting as exaggerated or self-indulgent).

NLR

9/29/2021 01:18:22

I like these paintings as well.

I find that the use of subdued rather than flashy colors helps make them feel more solid and ordinary (in the best sense of the word).

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The Romantic Everyday

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