Gregorio Lazzarini - Love

Gregorio Lazzarini (1655-1730) - Love
Hungary 60F Stamp Issued 1970
Christian Museum, Esztergom, Hungary

Lazzarini's biggest claim to fame is that he trained Tiepolo in his studio when he was a found artist.  Lazzarini was born of a fairly privileged family in Venice, although his parents died young.  He was able to pursue a career in art from a very young age as a result of his parents riches.  The majority of his work was religious in nature, which was very common for the times.

Paul von Szinyeiv-Merse - Lovers

Paul von Szinyeiv Merse (1845-1920) - Lovers (1870)
Hungary Stamp issued 1967
Painting Held at the Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest

This painting is typical of Szinyeiv Merse, as it captured upper middle class people in idealised settings in the prosperous countryside.  Merse was one of the earlier impressionist artists of Hungary and Central Europe.  After being trained in Munich, Germany, he was a politician as well as an artist of Hungary.  Another Merse painting is also on this Blog: Lady in a Purple Dress .

Paul von Szinyei-Merse - The Lady in a Purple Dress

Paul von Szinyei-Merse (1845-1920) - The Lady in a purple dress (1874)

Hungarian Stamp Issued 1966 Magyar Posta

This artist is said to have been responsible for some of the earliest examples of impressionism art in Central Europe.   Lady in a Purple Dress is typical of his work, which generally depicted the lives of the upper classes in Hungarian 19th Century Society - much like many of his contemporaries at the time. 

This is one of this painter's last paintings before he embarked upon a major gap in his life, where he did not complete any works from 1874-1898.  After this gap in his career, he entered a second stage in his life, where his work was widely regarded.

Benczur Gyula - Laszlo's Farewell

Benczúr Gyula (1844-1920) - Laszlo's Farewell  (1866)  - 

Magyar Posta (Hungary) Stamp issued 1966 

Painting held at the National Gallery of Hungary - Budapest

This stamp probably depicts a farewell by Laszlo Hunyadi, who was a Hungarian statesman in the 15th century, who was beheaded at the young age of 24 years old.  He lived through tumultuous times as the son of the leaders in Hungarian Transylvania during this time.

The artist was known for his art that conveyed historical events, and this stamp shows one of these paintings.  The painter obtained reasonable success during his lifetime, as he won a number of awards and had reasonable international success.

Mihaly Munkacsy - Yawning Apprentice (Asito inas)

Mihaly Munkacsy (1844-1900)  - Yawning Apprentice (Asito inas) 1869

Hungarian Stamp Issued 1966

Although this is not an impressionist piece of work, at first viewing this does appear to be quite unsettling, in the style of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" which was completed in 1893, well after this work by Munkacsy.  This painting is typical of this artist's work, as he revelled in depicting scenes of people from an everyday perspective.  If a model was used for this painting, they would probably have a very sore neck and mouth at the end of the sitting.

Barabás Miklós - Girl in the Woods

Barabas Miklos (1810-1898)  - Girl in the Woods

Hungarian Stamp issued 1966

Magyar Posta

This is another Hungarian Stamp from 1966, being part of a series of stamps from the 19th Century.  Other Barabas Miklos paintings were also depicted in these stamps - this is typical of his work, depicting romanticised scenes of beauties in the wild forests - perhaps a pre-cursor to are that would follow in the latter years of the 19th century and early 20th century - depicting an unrealistic harmony with nature.

Mihaly Munkacsy - Woman Carrying Faggots (Rozsehordo no)

Mihaly Munkacsy (1844-1900)  - Woman Carrying Faggots (Rozsehordo no) (1873)

Hungarian Stamp Issued 1966

Held at the Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest

Unlike some of his contemporaries, Munkacsy depicted the ordinary lives of everyday people in his genre pictures, in addition to completing works of a religious nature.  Shortly after completing this painting of a woman carry brushwood through the forest, he went on to complete a number of landscape works, although the genre paintings remain as his most famous works.

Miklos Barabas (1810-1898) - Portrait of Mrs. István Bittó (1874)

Miklos Barabas  (1810-1898) - Portrait of Mrs. István Bittó (1874)

Hungarian Stamp Issued in 1966

Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest

Barabas was mostly known for his portraits that were made of wealthy individuals within Hungarian society at the time of this painting.  This is a portrait of the wife of the Hungarian Prime Minister from 1874-1875.  The painter was also a member of the Hungarian Parliament in 1867.  

Benczúr Julius - Reading women in the woods

Benczúr Julius (1844-1920) - Reading women in the woods (1875)

Hungarian Stamp Issued in 1966

Benczur was a Hungarian born painter who gained some international recognition during his career which included a large amount of time in Munich, Germany undertaking a professorship.  He mainly did paintings of the upper classes and aristocrats when he returned to Hungary and his name is now carried by a street in Budapest.

This painting is rather idyllic and stylised for the time - an upper class 19th century lady manages to peacefully read a book in the woods in the summertime, without being attacked by flies and insects.  The stamp is a poor reproduction of the original painting, which can be found here.

Botticelli - Madonna del Libro

Alessandro Botticelli (1444-1510) - Madonna del Libro

Painting completed in 1480

Hungary Stamp issued in 1969

Painting Held at Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan, Italy

Botticelli was one of the great renaissance painters who gained fame for painting a number of Madonna scenes.  This stamp covers part of one his most famous Madonna depictions.  He was also commissioned to work on frescos in the Sistine Chapel along with other painters at the time.  


It is also interesting to note that Botticelli was a follower of Savonarola in the latter stages of his life.  Savonarola a priest and leader in Florence at the time, who was known for advocating book burning, opposition against the renaissance and the destruction of immoral art.  It is said that Botticelli destroyed some of his own artworks.

Hosoda Eishi - Geisha in Boat

Chobunsai Eishi - Geisha in Boat

Hungary 60ft Stamp Issued 1971

Chosunsai Eishi (1756-1829) was a Japanese painter and wood block designer who depicted images of courtesans and geishas.  Although he was born into the samurai class, he left the public service to devote his time wholly to art.  

His work became prominent in the 1790s, with many artists copying his style, especially in terms of elongating the heads of the geishas.  His work was influenced by Torii Kiyonaga.

Bertalan Por - Portrait of a Man

Portrait of a Man by Bertalan Por

Painting completed 1912 Hungarian Stamp issued circa 1980

Bertalan Por trained in Munich and lived in Hungary when this painting was completed in 1912.   He was a popular portrait painter.  His most famous work "Sermon on the Mount" was highly decorative and symbolic - it was also completed around this time.

Por was a member of "The Eight" artists who brought Hungarian art into the modern age, with a bigger emphasis on radicalism versus impressionism.  Art markets flourished to the benefits of these artists in the early 20th Century in Austria-Hungary as the empire had experienced consistently high levels of economic growth.

See also Hungarian Art