Gyula Tichy, the Painter-Poet.

During his rather short life, Tichy, a painter and graphic artist, created one of the most special oeuvres of the early twentieth century. His painting, drawing, and graphic art were inspired by the masters of English and Viennese Secession, such as Aubrey Beardsley, Walter Crane, and Gustav Klimt. His works, distinguished by delicate draughtsmanship and a decorative rendition of the themes of symbolism, were soon met with success in his day. The museum’s collection was enriched significantly, with some fifty drawings, thanks to a generous donation in 2020, which furnishes the occasion for the thus far most comprehensive exhibition of Tichy’s unique oeuvre.

Gyula Tichy (1878, Rimaszombat [now, Rimavská Sobota, Slovakia] – 1920, Rozsnyó [now, Rožňava, Slovakia]) was one of the foremost masters of Hungarian graphic art, but his oeuvre has only drawn the attention of art historians and the public in recent years. In 2020, the Hungarian National Gallery’s Collection of Prints and Drawings had the opportunity to augment its material of the master’s works with pieces from a private collection. The significant acquisition – realised through the purchase of works from a renowned private collector and an extremely generous donation made by the collector – together with the centenary of the artist’s death provided the opportunity for the Gallery to showcase one of the most unique oeuvres of Hungarian symbolism; the opening date of the show had to be delayed to this autumn because of the Covid pandemic.

Tichy’s paintings, drawings and prints were inspired by the masters of English and Viennese Secession, such as Aubrey Beardsley, Walter Crane, and Gustav Klimt. His drawings, watercolours, linocuts, copper engravings, and tempera paintings, distinguished by delicate draughtsmanship and a decorative rendition of the themes of symbolism, were soon met with success in his day. He was a member of the KÉVE Artist Group from 1909, regularly exhibiting his works in Budapest, making illustrations, and having an album published. In order to sustain himself, he took on a post as an art teacher in Rozsnyó in 1909, from which time he lived there, while also maintaining his ties with the Budapest art scene.

Tichy took an active interest in physics and astronomy as well as the technological advances of his time, and he even started authoring a science-fiction novel. Due to his ever-deteriorating health, he turned his attention to drawing and printmaking. His linocuts made between 1908 and 1913 are possibly the most original sheets of graphic art at the turn of the century but equally diverse and enticing are his copper engravings and watercolours.

Tichy’s oeuvre addresses the modern notions and topical issues of his time (roles of women, contrast between urban and provincial life, subjects linked to the city, technological progress) in allegorical form and in the language of the Secession, defined by lines and ornamentation.

Curator of the exhibition: Eszter Földi, art historian (MOME)