Awakening of spring in Székesfehérvár
A curator’s reflections on the István Csók retrospective
MúzeumCafé 24.
A few generations ago Csók’s paintings were regarded as being on a level with works by János Vaszary or István Szőnyi, while today it has become fashionable to regard him as a somewhat kitschy painter. As a historian I am not so much concerned about aesthetic quality but rather the wealth of possibilities for interpreting his varied artistic career. I have never doubted that Csók produced one of the most exciting oeuvres in the first half of the 20th century. His stylistic diversity reflects an artist’s explorations at the turn of the century, and he created unquestionable masterpieces at the time of his return to Hungary following his great success abroad. His skill and virtuosity are represented by masterpieces such as Gathering Hay and Holy Communion, works included in the permanent exhibition of the Hungarian National Gallery. Due to being shown abroad on many occasions, they have become travelling ambassadors of Hungarian painting. His Chest with Tulips, the Züzü paintings or Godfather at Breakfast belong to the best known and most popular works in Hungarian painting and have constituted a part of Hungarian cultural memory for generations. However, apart from the masterpieces and their intricate stylistic connections, the twists of the artist’s life are also an issue for the art historian, since the double challenge of commercial success and autonomous creative work characterises the careers of his time, as do the moral dilemmas involved when an artist adopts a public role. In short, for an art historian Csók’s career offers plenty of possibilities for interpretation and research. An experienced historian of Hungarian art is no longer surprised if an oeuvre of this magnitude is essentially unprocessed. The time-consuming laborious work of setting up data bases and of background research has been supported by the Dénes Deák Scholarship granted by the town of Székesfehérvár for two years, while the preparatory research for the exhibition was assisted by a János Bolyai Research Scholarship from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The precise location of a potential retrospective was never in question – Csók had many connections with the town of Székesfehérvár and the surrounding. A memorial museum opened in the family mansion in Cece, as a result of his daughter’s generous donation after Csók’s death in 1962. Székesfehérvár has been an important centre of contemporary Hungarian art, though Csók’s painting falls somewhat outside that scope. Some of the most important works in his oeuvre were presented on a single occasion only, at the exhibition Symbols and Myths in 1988. As a result of fortunate circumstances, the director of the county’s King Saint Stephen Museum, Zsófia Demeter, was open to the idea of a comprehensive, high-standard presentation of Csók’s works and she was joined by Erzsébet Szűcs and her excellent team in the City Gallery. The latter was especially encouraging for us because the gallery’s staff have recently organised several successful exhibitions on a similar scale. Art historian Petra Gärtner of the country museum and myself were the joint curators of the exhibition.