|
1853 |
CSONTVÁRY was born on 5th July, in the small higland town of
Kisszeben (Sabinov). His father, Dr. László Kosztka was
a physician and pharmacist. His mother's maiden name was Franciska
Hajczelmajer de Daróc. |
|
1874 |
University studies and a period |
|
1875 |
working as an assistant pharmacist in Igló. |
|
1880 |
It was on 13th October, that Csontváry experienced a mystical
revelation, in which an inner voice prophesied to him: "You will be
the greatest 'sunway' painter in the world, greater than Raphael".
|
|
1881 |
He gave himself twenty years to prepare for his task. |
|
1884 |
He set up a pharmacy at Gács, to provide himself with
money. |
|
1894 |
Then years later Csontáry joined the school of Hollósy
in Munich and then studied in Karlsruhe and Paris. His first oil
painting dates from this period. |
1896-
1902 |
He continued his preparation with visits to Italy and Dalmatia. |
1902-
1904 |
During the following two years his search for the great theme took him
to Western Europe and finally Cairo, where he found the much sought
after "plein-air". During these years he was painting in the
naive-realistic style. |
|
1904 |
Csontváry was establishing himself as a mature artist. He started
working on his great painting of the Tatras and produced his pictures
of Athens. |
|
1905 |
was the year of his first exhibition, held in Budapest. Ruins of the
Greek Theatre at Taormina was completed, |
|
1906 |
followed by the paintings of Jerusalem and Baalbek. |
|
1907 |
An exhibition of his work was held in Paris in the Palais de Glace,
from 7th June to 7th July. His paintings were praised by Pierre Weber,
the art critic of the New York Herald Tribune. This year marks the
completion of his paintings of the Ceadars. |
|
1908 |
Csontváry's work was exhibited again in the Industry Hall of
Budapest. |
|
1909 |
Mary's Well of Nazareth and Ride on the Seashore
date from this period. |
|
1910 |
marked the end of his creative period. His psychosis grew worse and the
schizoid drawings date from this time. An exhibition was held in the
Technical University on Budapest. |
|
1912 |
Two years later Csontváry wrote a pamphlet entitled "Energy
and Art, the Errors of Civilized Man", and |
|
1913 |
a study called "Genius. Who Can and Who Cannot Be a Genius." |
|
1914 |
A cartoon - "Arrival of the Conquering Magyars in Hungary" - and some
sketches of battle scenes date from this year. |
|
1919 |
Csontváry died of "arthritis" on 20th June, 1919. |
