Somogyi, József
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Biography
József Somogyi was born in 1916 in Félszerfalva (town in Austria). Between 1935 and 1936 he studied at the Free School of Vilmos Aba Novák. In 1936 he was admitted to the Hungarian College of Fine Arts, where István Réti, Béla Kontuly and Zsigmond Kisfaludy Strobl were his teachers; he graduated in 1941. In 1940 he got honorable recognition on the spring salon of the Szinyei Society for his ‘Asian black bear’ titled works.
During his life he received all significant recognition. In 1954 he got Kossuth award; in 1956 the Munkácsy award was given to him. In 1958 for his ‘Dancers’ titled works (with Jenő Kerényi), they won the grand prize of the World Exhibition in Brussels. In 1966 he became merited artist; in 1970 he got the rank of outstanding artist. Furthermore he won countless awards on various Biennials. In 1976 he was awarded by the Gold Grades of Work Merit, in 1978 with the Madách award, in 1986 with the Hungarian People's Republic Flag Order recognized his work. In 1991 For the Hungarian Arts Award was given to him.
Between 1945 and 1963 he was the teacher of the Fine and Applied Arts Secondary School. From 1963 till 1993 he continued his teaching career as a professor of the Hungarian College of Fine Arts. Between 1974 and 1987 he was the rector of the college.
The essential characteristic of his sculpture are the skeleton-like representation and the structuring. Next to his bronze constructed works, which made for the public by the order of state, the secular and sacred circle sculpture, the bronze statuettes, as well as reliefs and medals and the varied technique of drawings also means important part of his works.
| Year | Biography |
|---|---|
| 1916 | He was born in Félszerfalva |
| 1935-1936 | Free School of Vilmos Aba Novák |
| 1936-1941 | the Hungarian College of Fine Arts |
| 1945-1963 | teacher of the Fine and Applied Arts Secondary School |
| 1963-1993 | teacher of the Hungarian College of Fine Arts |
| 1974 and 1987 | he was the rector of the college |
| 1968-1977 | President of the Hungarian Association of Fine and Applied Arts |
| 1975-1980 | A member of the Presidential Council |
| 1984-1992 | the secular President of the Hungarian Reformed Church |
| From 1992 | Founder and board member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts |
| His teachers: István Réti, Béla Kontuly, Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl | |
| Single exhibitions | |
| 1998 | Reformed Dorm, Pápa |
| 1986 | Káptalant., Sopron |
| 1985 | Gózon I. Cultural Center, Kiskunhalas |
| 1983 | Art Gallery, Győr |
| 1979 | Újpalota, Budapest |
| 1978 | Art Gallery, Budapest [with Károly Reich] |
| 1977 | Hatvan Gallery, Hatvan |
| 1974 | Balassagyarmat |
| 1973 | Medgyessy Hall, Hódmezővásárhely |
| Tokaj | |
| 1972 | Helikon Gallery, Budapest |
| 1971 | Budapest Historical Museum, Budapest |
| 1970 | XXXV. Biennial of Venice, Venice [with Gyula Hincz] |
| 1946, 1947, 1948 | Cultural Center of Budapest, Budapest |
| Memorial exhibitions | |
| 1997 | Master and Disciples, Military History Museum, Budapest |
| 1996 | Ásványráró |
| Masterpiece Gallery, Veszprém | |
| Benedictine Abbey Museum, Tihany | |
| 1994 | Saint Michael Basilica, Veszprém |
| Pápa | |
| Selected group exhibitions | |
| 1978 | Hungarian sculptural exhibition, Art Gallery, Budapest |
| 1975 | Jubilee Fine Arts exhibitions, Art Gallery, Budapest |
| 1971 | New works, Art Gallery, Budapest |
| III. National Statuette Biennial, Pécs | |
| 1950-1965 | 1-10. Hungarian Fine Arts exhibitions, Art Gallery, Budapest |
| 1948 | Towards the Public Art, Artists of Free Trade Unions, Budapest |
| Works in public collections | |
| Mór Jókai Cultural Center, Pápa | |
| Gallery of Budapest, Budapest | |
| Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest | |
| József Somogyi Gallery, Pápa | |
| Public works | |
| Lion (bronze, 1948, Parliament) | |
| Arrogant bear (limestone, 1950, Dunaújváros) | |
| Martinász (bronze, 1953, set up in 1960, Dunaújváros) | |
| Abundance (1955, Sopron) | |
| Digger (bronze, 1955, Budapest, bajza str.) | |
| Peace (1956 Kazincbarcika) | |
| Dancers [with Jeno Kerenyi] (1958 Brussels World's Fair) | |
| Széchenyi Hill TV transmitter (bronze reliefs, 1959, Budapest, Hungary) | |
| Madách Theatre facade sculptures [with Gyula Kiss Kovacs and Jeno Kerenyi] (1961, Budapest) | |
| Family (bronze, 1963, Budapest, Óbuda experimental housing) | |
| Rest and athlete youth (terracotta reliefs, 1963, Szeged, Rákóczi square) | |
| János Szántó Kovács (bronze, 1965, Hódmezővásárhely) | |
| Girl with foal (bronze, 1965, Budapest, Gellért Hill) | |
| Maternity (bronze, 1965, Budapest, Hungary, Török str.) | |
| Liberation Monument (bronze, 1967, Salgótarján) | |
| Corpus (bronze, 1967, Hollóháza) | |
| Deer (bronze, 1968, Szeged, Felső-Tiszaparti Secondary School) | |
| Miklós Zrínyi (bronze, 1968, Szigetvár) | |
| Storks (bronze, 1968, Budapest, Textile Factory Nursery) | |
| Two-figures composition (bronze, 1968, Balatonöszöd) | |
| relief (bronze, 1969, Budapest, Mihály Pollack square, the Hungarian Radio) | |
| Gladiators (bronze, 1970, Budapest, Budapest University of Technology) | |
| Mednyánszky tomb (bronze, 1970, Budapest, Kerepesi cemetery) | |
| Harper girl (bronze, 1971, Budapest, Óbuda Zichy Palace) | |
| Fishermen (bronze, 1971, Siofok, hotelline) | |
| Landscape figure (bronze, 1971, Baja, City Hospital) | |
| Dózsa (bronze, 1972, Cegléd, Kossuth Square) | |
| Sándor Petofi (bronze, 1973, Pápa) | |
| Cellist girl (bronze, 1973, Vácrátót, Botanical Garden) | |
| Erno Mihalyfi tomb (bronze, 1974, Budapest, Kerepesi cemetery) | |
| Liberation Monument (bronze, 1975, Vác) | |
| Mother with her child (bronze, 1976, Budapest, Kossuth Square's metro station) | |
| dr. Jenő Polya (pyrogranite, 1978, Budapest, István Hospital) | |
| Price (bronze, 1979, Dunaújváros, Danube embankment) | |
| Béla Bartók portrait memorial (bronze, 1981, Budapest, Bottomless Lake Park) | |
| Laszlo Nagy plaque (bronze, 1981, Pápa, Sándor Petofi High School) | |
| Weary man (bronze, 1983, Makó, Attila József Museum) | |
| Nimrod (bronze, 1983, Győr) | |
| The memorial to the victims of fascism [with Jozsef Finta] (bronze, basalt, 1985, Budapest) | |
| II. Rákóczi bust (bronze, 1986, Tekirdag, Rákóczi memorial house) | |
| II. Rákóczi (bronze, 1986, Sárospatak, Castle park) | |
| The Three Graces (bronze, 1987, Veszprém, Kossuth Lajos st.) | |
| György Bessenyei bust (bronze, 1988, Sárospatak) | |
| István Széchenyi (bronze, 1988, Szécshenyi Wharf, MÁVTI) | |
| Bálint Kocsi Csergő Protestant preacher (bronze, 1988, Pápa) | |
| Mihály Vörösmarty (bronze, 1990, Sopron) | |
| Saint Stephen (bronze, 1990, St. Stephen's Office) | |
| The victims of the II. World War memorial (bronze, 1992, Ásványráró) | |
| Peter Veres portrait (bronze, 1992, Budapest, Peter Veres High School). |
