HUNGARIAN ART 1900-1950 - THE RADNAI COLLECTION, GYŐR

BÉLA RADNAI'S ART COLLECTION IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT HUNGARIAN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS THAT WERE FORMED IN BETWEEN THE TWO WORLD WARS AND THE ONLY ONE WHICH REMAINED IN BEING AS A UNITY IN ITS NEARLY ORIGINAL RICHNESS AND IS ON DISPLAY IN A PERMANENT EXHIBITION. THE COLLECTOR FOCUSED HIS INTEREST ON THE GRESHAM CIRCLE, HE BOUGHT A WHOLE RANGE OF OUTSTANDING WORKS BY JÓZSEF EGRY, ISTVÁN SZÔNYI AND AURÉL BERNÁTH. BESIDES THESE WORKS PAINTINGS BY JÓZSEF RIPPL-RÓNAI, GYULA DERKOVITS AND ISTVÁN NAGY SUGGEST THAT THE COLLECTOR MADE HIS CHOICE WITH AN EXCELLENT SENSE WHEN CREATING HIS COLLECTION, NEARLY ALL IMPORTANT TRENDS OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY ARE REPRESENTED. HIS SELECTION IS MADE COMPLETE BY A UNIQUELY RICH MATERIAL OF GRAPHIC WORKS AND STATUES.

THE PRESENT BOOK IS A LANDMARK IN THE PRESENTATION OF PRIVATE COLLECTIONS. IN ADDITION TO REPRODUCING THE PIECES OF ART THE AUTHORS AND EDITORS AIMED AT RESTORING THE CHARACTER AND THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE EPOCH-MAKING COLLECTOR, WHO HAD AN EXQUISITE TASTE. IN SURVEY STUDIES, WITH CONTEMPORARY PHOTOS AND DOCUMENTS THE SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL MILIEU BÉLA RADNAI WAS SURROUNDED BY IS EVOKED. THE WHEREABOUTS OF WORKS THAT HAD GOT AWAY FROM THE COLLECTION HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED THEREFORE THE BOOK - WITH ITS FOUR HUNDRED COLOUR PLATES - GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF THE FLOWERING PERIOD OF THE COLLECTION AS WELL. THROUGH THE DISCERNING ARRANGEMENT OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS THE READER WILL NOT ONLY GET ACQUAINTED WITH THE PARTICULAR WORKS BUT HE WILL ALSO ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE THAT FASCINATED CONTEMPORARY VISITORS TO THE COLLECTION.