Bela Ivanyi Grunwald (Hungarian, 1867-1940). Oil on canvas, ca. 1896 to 1904. Signed at lower right. A captivating painting by Hungarian artist Bela Ivanyi Grunwald, one of the founders of the Nagybanya Artists Colony in eastern Hungary. The Nagybanya Artists Colony (which later became Baia Mare School) began as a summer retreat where artists practiced plein-air painting. Grunwald specialized in painting Hungarian scenes in which the impact of the natural world is evident as is his interest in depicting everyday folks. This composition features a group of figures in the countryside. A man on a white horse wearing a wide brimmed hat and smoking a pipe is greeted by two women dressed in white blouses, colorful skirts and kerchiefs, while a woman and child resting outside a tent look on. All is delineated in a realistic style with a vibrant palette. A striking painting likely created when Grunwald was in the Nagybanya Artists Colony, in a custom frame. Size (painting): 23.625" L x 31.625" W (60 cm x 80.3 cm) Size (frame): 29.5" L x 37.75" W (74.9 cm x 95.9 cm)
About the Artist: Bela Ivanyi Grunwald was a co-founder of the Nagybanya artists' colony in Hungary. He studied art under Bertalan Szekely (1835-1910) at the School of Design in Budapest, at the private school of Simon Hollosy (1857-1918) in Munich, as well as the Academie Julian in Paris. In Nagybanya (present day Baia Mare, Romania) Grunwald was a leading plein air artist and created works like this painting, featuring Hungarian figures in an outdoor setting. He received a scholarship to study in Rome in 1904, and by 1907 began exploring a different path. A conflict had developed within the Nagybanya artists between the older and younger generations. Grunwald chose to support the younger generations, abandon the realistic style he practiced while at the Nagybanya Artists Colony, and establish a new school in the town of Kecskemet joined by several avant-garde artists.
Provenance: private Boulder, Colorado, USA collection
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#180831
Condition
Signed at lower right. A few minor scuffs and areas of craquelure. Otherwise in very good overall condition with vivid imagery and hues. Stretcher bars present with expected age wear. A few handwritten notes on verso - primarily numbers - as well as remains of old labels. Frame has normal wear with slight scuffs and stains but is otherwise very nice and fit with a suspension wire.