The Studio yearbook of decorative art (1914)

HUNGARIAN ARCHITECTURE AND DECORATION
A form of batik peculiar, I think, to Hungary, is leather
batik, which during the last three or four years has received much
encouragement, thanks to the exertions of Robert Nadler, Professor
at the Royal School of Art in Budapest. There can be no doubt as
to the value of this technique as a means of decoration. Some very
beautiful designs have been made and executed by the pupils of
Nadler’s class, chiefly girls, and used for the purpose of ornamenting
articles of furniture and everyday use—portfolios, book-bindings,
purses, backs, and other objects.
Other branches of the arts and crafts are also developing on
right lines. The increasing efficiency of the Royal Schools for Arts and
Crafts has done much to further this. The art of pottery designing
and pottery making, hitherto neglected, has, during the last two
years, made rapid strides, and some really beautiful objects have been
produced, some of which are shown here. These bear evidence of
earnestness of purpose both on the part of the teachers and the
taught. Professor Gira-Jako has designed some delightful ceramics
which he himself has executed in his own workshop.
Some very beautiful metal-work has been designed and executed
by pupils of the Royal Schools for Arts and Crafts. It is to be
regretted that a photograph cannot reproduce the harmony of colour
and play of light on the metal of the casket, designed and executed by
.Anna Gombassy, here shown (p. 240), nor on the lovely tones of the
rsemi-precious stones with which it is ornamented. It would be well
>to say a few words in praise of the beautiful small bronze figures by
-Szent-Gyorgyi (p. 239), a young sculptor whois rapidly making his way.
In architecture progress has been made. Such men as Aladar
Arkay, Sigmund Quittner, Balint and Jambor, Bela Lajta, Laszlo
Kiss, Jozsef Vago, Ede Wigand, Dionysius Gyorogyi, C. Kos, Bela
Rerrich, Ferenc Frischauf-Szablo, and Malnai und Haasz are fully
employed ; while the numerous large buildings now being erected
testify to the growth of modern architecture not only in Budapest
but in other towns. The “Home of Culture” at Maros-Vasarhely
is now completed ; the entrance has been decorated by Aladar
Kriesch-Korosfoi with some interesting frescoes descriptive of
Hungarian saga : one of these, “ The Poetry of the Szekler ” is repro-
duced on page 238, and bears testimony to the high ideals of this
refined and sensitive artist.
In interior decoration much is being done, but space forbids
mentioning more than the names of some of the artists—the repro-
ductions will show on what distinguished lines they work. These are
Ede Wigand, Frischauf-Szablo, Dezso Meller, Balint and Jambor,
Jozsef Fago, Anton Megyer-Meyer, artists who are working towards
a common aim, the making of artistic and dwellable homes.