DOI article:
Ciulisová, Ingrid: Acquired and dispersed: the collections of Grazioso Enea Lanfranconi and Baron Karl Kuffner
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.52534#0055
ŠTÚDIE / ARTICLES
ARS 40, 2007, 1
Acquired and Dispersed: The Collections
of Grazioso Enea Lanfranconi and Baron Karl Kuffner
Ingrid CIULISOVÁ
Exhibitions of European Works of Art
The picture gallery of the Slovák Museum in Brat-
islava was ceremonially opened on 23rd March 1943.
According to the long-serving curator of the muse-
um Ludmila Kraskovská: “The Slovák public had for
the first time an opportunity to appreciate examples of Euro-
pean fine art on its own terri tory..."' But it is appropria-
te to comment here that this Statement was not ac-
curate and reflected more the current political reality
— the existence of the Slovák state. The inhabitants
of multi-ethnic Bratislava (Pressburg, Pozsony) and
visitors to the city could see works of European art in
the exhibition rooms of the Bratislava City Museum
at least in the second half of the 1920s. I hâve in mind
the new installation of the city collections, started in
1926 and including a picture gallery from 1930.* 1 2 It
included various examples from world art, which be-
came the property of the City Museum in Bratislava
* This study was written within the ftamework of reseatch grant
No. 2/7093/27 of the grant agency VEGA of the Slovák Aca-
demy of Sciences and the Ministry of Education of the Slovák
Republic. I would like to thank you to Dr Marian Bisanz-
Prakken, Dr Walter Liedtke, Michéle Perny, Dr Katalin Pli-
hél, Mgr Hildegarde Pokreis, Anne Simpson (NIAS) and the
représentatives of the Gallery of the Town Bratislava and The
City Museum in Bratislava for their kind help.
1 KRASKOVSKÁ, E.: Z dějin historického ústavu Slovenské-
ho národného múzea (From the history of the Institute of His-
tory of the Slovák National Museum). In: Zborník Slovenského
národného múzea, História, 79, 1985, p. 335.
2 FAUST, O. — FUSÁK, E.: Z historie městského muzea v Bra-
tislavě (From the history of the City Museum in Bratislava).
In: Sto rokov městského múzea v Bratislavě 1868 — 1968. Brati-
either as donations from private individuals, as in the
case of the donation of Ján Nepomuk Batka for ex-
ample, or through purchase on the art market at the
beginning of the twentieth Century.
In the wider cultural context of the Czechoslovak
Republic, a significant exhibition of old works of art
from the Bratislava collections also provided a further,
undoubtedly unique opportunity to admire works of
world art. It was organized in 1928 by the Art Club
of Slovakia (Umělecká beseda slovenská) in Bratisla-
va. It gave the Bratislava community the opportuni-
ty to appreciate previously little known works of art
coming from the collections of prominent Bratislava
private collectors such as Karl Stampfei, as well as
works from the collections of the City Museum and
the Slovák Museum. It was also the first public dis-
play of high quality works of world art, acquired by
the Czechoslovak state following the dispersai of the
collection of Count János Pálffy.3
slava 1968, p. 23; Stručný katalog Městského múzea podlá miest-
ností (A brief catalogue of the City Museum atranged by ro-
oms). Bratislava 1931; GÜNTHEROVÀ, A. - WAGNERO-
VÁ, O.: Katalog Múzea města Bratislavy. Bratislava 1933;
GÜNTHEROVÀ, A. - WAGNEROVA, O.: Stručný katalog
městského múzea podlá miestností (A brief catalogue of the City
Museum atranged by rooms). Bratislava 1933; Sbierky obra-
zov, plastik a šperkov. Katalog k výstave Městského múzea v Bra-
tislavě (Collections of pictures, sculptures and jewellery. A ca-
talogue of an exhibition at the City Museum in Bratislava).
Bratislava 1934.
3 Staré umenie z bratislavského majetku do roku 1800. Katalog XXII.
Výstavy Umeleckej besedy Slovenskej (UBS) (Old art from Brati-
slava property up to 1800. Catalogue of the 22nd exhibition of
the Art Club of Slovakia). Bratislava, lTh March - 4,h April
1928. Bratislava 1928.
53
ARS 40, 2007, 1
Acquired and Dispersed: The Collections
of Grazioso Enea Lanfranconi and Baron Karl Kuffner
Ingrid CIULISOVÁ
Exhibitions of European Works of Art
The picture gallery of the Slovák Museum in Brat-
islava was ceremonially opened on 23rd March 1943.
According to the long-serving curator of the muse-
um Ludmila Kraskovská: “The Slovák public had for
the first time an opportunity to appreciate examples of Euro-
pean fine art on its own terri tory..."' But it is appropria-
te to comment here that this Statement was not ac-
curate and reflected more the current political reality
— the existence of the Slovák state. The inhabitants
of multi-ethnic Bratislava (Pressburg, Pozsony) and
visitors to the city could see works of European art in
the exhibition rooms of the Bratislava City Museum
at least in the second half of the 1920s. I hâve in mind
the new installation of the city collections, started in
1926 and including a picture gallery from 1930.* 1 2 It
included various examples from world art, which be-
came the property of the City Museum in Bratislava
* This study was written within the ftamework of reseatch grant
No. 2/7093/27 of the grant agency VEGA of the Slovák Aca-
demy of Sciences and the Ministry of Education of the Slovák
Republic. I would like to thank you to Dr Marian Bisanz-
Prakken, Dr Walter Liedtke, Michéle Perny, Dr Katalin Pli-
hél, Mgr Hildegarde Pokreis, Anne Simpson (NIAS) and the
représentatives of the Gallery of the Town Bratislava and The
City Museum in Bratislava for their kind help.
1 KRASKOVSKÁ, E.: Z dějin historického ústavu Slovenské-
ho národného múzea (From the history of the Institute of His-
tory of the Slovák National Museum). In: Zborník Slovenského
národného múzea, História, 79, 1985, p. 335.
2 FAUST, O. — FUSÁK, E.: Z historie městského muzea v Bra-
tislavě (From the history of the City Museum in Bratislava).
In: Sto rokov městského múzea v Bratislavě 1868 — 1968. Brati-
either as donations from private individuals, as in the
case of the donation of Ján Nepomuk Batka for ex-
ample, or through purchase on the art market at the
beginning of the twentieth Century.
In the wider cultural context of the Czechoslovak
Republic, a significant exhibition of old works of art
from the Bratislava collections also provided a further,
undoubtedly unique opportunity to admire works of
world art. It was organized in 1928 by the Art Club
of Slovakia (Umělecká beseda slovenská) in Bratisla-
va. It gave the Bratislava community the opportuni-
ty to appreciate previously little known works of art
coming from the collections of prominent Bratislava
private collectors such as Karl Stampfei, as well as
works from the collections of the City Museum and
the Slovák Museum. It was also the first public dis-
play of high quality works of world art, acquired by
the Czechoslovak state following the dispersai of the
collection of Count János Pálffy.3
slava 1968, p. 23; Stručný katalog Městského múzea podlá miest-
ností (A brief catalogue of the City Museum atranged by ro-
oms). Bratislava 1931; GÜNTHEROVÀ, A. - WAGNERO-
VÁ, O.: Katalog Múzea města Bratislavy. Bratislava 1933;
GÜNTHEROVÀ, A. - WAGNEROVA, O.: Stručný katalog
městského múzea podlá miestností (A brief catalogue of the City
Museum atranged by rooms). Bratislava 1933; Sbierky obra-
zov, plastik a šperkov. Katalog k výstave Městského múzea v Bra-
tislavě (Collections of pictures, sculptures and jewellery. A ca-
talogue of an exhibition at the City Museum in Bratislava).
Bratislava 1934.
3 Staré umenie z bratislavského majetku do roku 1800. Katalog XXII.
Výstavy Umeleckej besedy Slovenskej (UBS) (Old art from Brati-
slava property up to 1800. Catalogue of the 22nd exhibition of
the Art Club of Slovakia). Bratislava, lTh March - 4,h April
1928. Bratislava 1928.
53