DOI issue:
No. 103 (October, 1901)
DOI article:Tahi, Anthony: A hungarian painter: Filip E. László
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19874#0032
Filift R. Ldszld
Munich teacher, A. Liezenmayer. The same year
also produced the portrait of the Hungarian
Minister of Justice, M. Desider Szilagyi.
Both pictures reveal those peculiar charac-
teristics which mark the artist as one born to be
a painter of portraits; but little notice has been
taken of the fact that the first real sign of apprecia-
tion on the part of public and artists alike was
not apparent until the following year, when he
exhibited his portrait of the Bulgarian Metropolitan,
Gregorius, which was commissioned by the Prince
of Bulgaria. This work revealed the full develop-
ment of those gifts which go to make the great
portrait painter—charming conception, harmonious
colouring, sureness of drawing, intense expression,
and sound technique.
In 1895 we find Laszlo in Dresden, where,
commissioned by the Hungarian Government, he
produced a copy of the above-mentioned Manyoky's
portrait of Prince Rakdczy II., this being the only
copy Laszld has ever made. While in Dresden,
the artist was commissioned by the Queen of
Saxony to do a portrait of the Crown Princess
Friedrich-August. He also painted Bohfislav,
Count Chotek, then Austro-Hungarian Ambassador
at the Court of Saxony, and now father-in-law
of the Austro-Hungarian heir-apparent, Franz
Ferdinand. Other portraits followed in rapid
succession—Countess Majlath (1896); Prince and
Princess Ratibor; the lovely children's portraits,
Daniela and Sabine ; the Prince and Princess of
Bulgaria; the King of Hungary; the German
Empress and her youngest daughter; Count and
Countess de Castellane (Salon of 1899); and
Baroness d'Erlanger, in three different positions.
Then followed Sir George White, commissioned
by the late Queen Victoria; Lord Tweedmouth;
Mrs. Ashley ; Countess Csckonics ; Prince Hohen-
lohe, the late German Chancellor; Countess
Reverbera; Countess Trani (sister of the late
Empress Elizabeth of Hungary) ; the Hereditary
Princess of Hohenzollern; Countess Erlanger-
Barbellini; Pope Leo XIII. ; Cardinal Rampolla;
Alice Barbi; Mrs. Hajos; Countess Andrassy ;
Max Falk, the Hungarian deputy; General
Gorgei, one of the most popular leaders in the
Hungarian War of Independence of 1848; and
other celebrities.
Laszld's portraits are not what are commonly
known as "show pictures"; he prefers to represent
his models as they would appear when engaged in
pleasant converse, or listening to some fascinating
discourse, the result being that they never look as
though they knew they were being painted; there is
20
no stiffness, no constraint—no posing, in a word.
To effect this Laszlo never ceases to engage his
models in conversation while they are sitting, so
that they may come out of themselves and appear
perfectly natural. The advantages are many and
manifest. While talking, the sitter's eyes grow
animated, the mouth gains expression and tender-
ness ; and Laszl6's main object is to give reality to
eye and mouth. He insists that the eye should
not seem to be painted, but should actually see ;
that the lips should be not painted and drawn, but
really exist on the canvas. Thus it comes about
that there is a certain charm in all Laszl6's
portraits; even the most unprepossessing persons
are rendered attractive by the artist's wonderful
intuition. Everyone has some good point in his
face, if it can only be discovered, be he prince or
peasant.
This is one of the chief points ot difference—-
especially so far as it applies to the paintings of
persons of the highest rank—distinguishing Laszl6's
work from that of other painters. To make my
meaning clearer I will take an example—his
portrait of Pope Leo XIII. All the artists—from
Chartran to Benjamin Constant—who had pre-
viously painted Leo XIII. depicted the Head of
the Roman Catholic Church, the Successor of
Peter, a venerable personage, showing in every
feature, every gesture, a profound consciousness of
the dignity of his exalted office. Laszlo, on the
other hand, has painted the Pope as a Man, an
old man, kindly, gentle, but infirm, as he indeed
appeared when, returned from some great Church
function to his private apartments in the Vatican,
he received the painter with his benevolent smile.
Laszl6's Pope is not the " white phantom" of
whom Zola speaks in his " Rome," but the lovable
old priest whom fate has placed in supremacy. All
about him is greyish, his pallid face, his nervous,
waxen hands—all but his eyes. They are eyes so
full of animation as to belie their surroundings.
The portrait of Cardinal Rampolla, too, is a work
of eminent fidelity and brilliantly characteristic.
How fine, how delicate the all but imperceptible
smile on the lips of this diplomatist in priest's
clothing !
Laszl6's greatest triumph, however, is, perhaps
his portrait of Prince Hohenlohe, which is here
reproduced.
Remarks Desjardins in the "Gazette des Beaux
Arts " :—
" Faisons une place a part a une ceuvre de
maitre, au portrait du Chancelier d'Allemagne
Prince Hohenlohe, par M. F. Laszl6, peintre
Munich teacher, A. Liezenmayer. The same year
also produced the portrait of the Hungarian
Minister of Justice, M. Desider Szilagyi.
Both pictures reveal those peculiar charac-
teristics which mark the artist as one born to be
a painter of portraits; but little notice has been
taken of the fact that the first real sign of apprecia-
tion on the part of public and artists alike was
not apparent until the following year, when he
exhibited his portrait of the Bulgarian Metropolitan,
Gregorius, which was commissioned by the Prince
of Bulgaria. This work revealed the full develop-
ment of those gifts which go to make the great
portrait painter—charming conception, harmonious
colouring, sureness of drawing, intense expression,
and sound technique.
In 1895 we find Laszlo in Dresden, where,
commissioned by the Hungarian Government, he
produced a copy of the above-mentioned Manyoky's
portrait of Prince Rakdczy II., this being the only
copy Laszld has ever made. While in Dresden,
the artist was commissioned by the Queen of
Saxony to do a portrait of the Crown Princess
Friedrich-August. He also painted Bohfislav,
Count Chotek, then Austro-Hungarian Ambassador
at the Court of Saxony, and now father-in-law
of the Austro-Hungarian heir-apparent, Franz
Ferdinand. Other portraits followed in rapid
succession—Countess Majlath (1896); Prince and
Princess Ratibor; the lovely children's portraits,
Daniela and Sabine ; the Prince and Princess of
Bulgaria; the King of Hungary; the German
Empress and her youngest daughter; Count and
Countess de Castellane (Salon of 1899); and
Baroness d'Erlanger, in three different positions.
Then followed Sir George White, commissioned
by the late Queen Victoria; Lord Tweedmouth;
Mrs. Ashley ; Countess Csckonics ; Prince Hohen-
lohe, the late German Chancellor; Countess
Reverbera; Countess Trani (sister of the late
Empress Elizabeth of Hungary) ; the Hereditary
Princess of Hohenzollern; Countess Erlanger-
Barbellini; Pope Leo XIII. ; Cardinal Rampolla;
Alice Barbi; Mrs. Hajos; Countess Andrassy ;
Max Falk, the Hungarian deputy; General
Gorgei, one of the most popular leaders in the
Hungarian War of Independence of 1848; and
other celebrities.
Laszld's portraits are not what are commonly
known as "show pictures"; he prefers to represent
his models as they would appear when engaged in
pleasant converse, or listening to some fascinating
discourse, the result being that they never look as
though they knew they were being painted; there is
20
no stiffness, no constraint—no posing, in a word.
To effect this Laszlo never ceases to engage his
models in conversation while they are sitting, so
that they may come out of themselves and appear
perfectly natural. The advantages are many and
manifest. While talking, the sitter's eyes grow
animated, the mouth gains expression and tender-
ness ; and Laszl6's main object is to give reality to
eye and mouth. He insists that the eye should
not seem to be painted, but should actually see ;
that the lips should be not painted and drawn, but
really exist on the canvas. Thus it comes about
that there is a certain charm in all Laszl6's
portraits; even the most unprepossessing persons
are rendered attractive by the artist's wonderful
intuition. Everyone has some good point in his
face, if it can only be discovered, be he prince or
peasant.
This is one of the chief points ot difference—-
especially so far as it applies to the paintings of
persons of the highest rank—distinguishing Laszl6's
work from that of other painters. To make my
meaning clearer I will take an example—his
portrait of Pope Leo XIII. All the artists—from
Chartran to Benjamin Constant—who had pre-
viously painted Leo XIII. depicted the Head of
the Roman Catholic Church, the Successor of
Peter, a venerable personage, showing in every
feature, every gesture, a profound consciousness of
the dignity of his exalted office. Laszlo, on the
other hand, has painted the Pope as a Man, an
old man, kindly, gentle, but infirm, as he indeed
appeared when, returned from some great Church
function to his private apartments in the Vatican,
he received the painter with his benevolent smile.
Laszl6's Pope is not the " white phantom" of
whom Zola speaks in his " Rome," but the lovable
old priest whom fate has placed in supremacy. All
about him is greyish, his pallid face, his nervous,
waxen hands—all but his eyes. They are eyes so
full of animation as to belie their surroundings.
The portrait of Cardinal Rampolla, too, is a work
of eminent fidelity and brilliantly characteristic.
How fine, how delicate the all but imperceptible
smile on the lips of this diplomatist in priest's
clothing !
Laszl6's greatest triumph, however, is, perhaps
his portrait of Prince Hohenlohe, which is here
reproduced.
Remarks Desjardins in the "Gazette des Beaux
Arts " :—
" Faisons une place a part a une ceuvre de
maitre, au portrait du Chancelier d'Allemagne
Prince Hohenlohe, par M. F. Laszl6, peintre