Vaszary, János Carneval

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János Vaszary studied at the Mintarajz School under the masters Bertalan Székely and János Greguss, then continued his studies in Munich. Influenced by Jules Bastien-Lepage’s exhibition there, he went to Paris and enrolled at the Académie Julian. Although he was strongly influenced by Simon Hollósy and the painters of the Nagybánya artists’ colony surrounding him, his painting remained French-inspired throughout his life.

Vaszary worked primarily as a painter, but he also produced graphic works and tapestries. Thanks to his excellent sense of color, as well as his drawing and compositional skills, he is regarded as one of the most significant Hungarian painters in the art-historical canon, with international recognition as well.

In his watercolor Carnival, we observe a group of revelers. As the title suggests, couples celebrating the carnival dance with carefree joy. A figure wearing a mask, reminiscent of a circus clown, remains outside the merriment—he merely stands and looks out of the picture. The composition, drawn with bold, energetic lines, radiates a sense of light-heartedness. Its vivid color scheme and cheerful atmosphere are passed on to the viewer, who may feel freed from sadness and worries and, in a literal sense, see the world in brighter colors.

Reflecting the influence of the French Impressionists and Fauves, Carnival was created in the period known as the “happy peace years.” With this work, Vaszary captures precisely this “moment,” the cheerful side of life. At the same time, the most prominent, largest figure—the clown—stands to the side merely as an observer.

It is known that the painting was exhibited at the 1961 memorial exhibition of Vaszary, organized by the Hungarian National Gallery, where it appeared as item number 205 in the catalogue.

Takáts Fábian