The Art of Margit Anna (1913 1991)

As part of the series showcasing prominent figures of Hungarian art Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest is organizing a large- scale retrospective exhibition of one of the most important Hungarian painters of the twentieth century, Margit ANNA (1913–1991), a distinguished member of the art group Európai Iskola (European School). Margit Anna’s painting is both sensual and ruthlessly clear- sighted. She combines elegant decorativeness with a search for the soul. Her childlike figures, painted within the European School, spoke for her and displayed suffering beyond human comprehension. In her later art, folk art and folklore appear, mourning and comedy are intertwined, and in her late paintings her puppets evoke scenes from the Old Testament with the sadness and irony of remembrance. The art group Európai Iskola (European School) aimed to connect to progressive Western European art. Their choice of name – referring to École de Paris – indicates their French orientation. As part of their activities, the group organized a French-Hungarian exhibition in Budapest, exhibiting well-known French masters ranging from Bonnard to Picasso.