The Cennini Society.
The influence of Cennino Cennini's Trattato della pittura on the life and works of the Hungarian Gödöllő Artists' Colony and György Leszkovszky*
NOTICE - In the course of my studies on the influence of the Book of the Art by Cennino Cennini in Hungary, I came across an article on the Internet by the Hungarian art historian Zsuzsanna Benkő, concerning the groups of artists which originated from the experience of the art colony of Gödöllő, in the early 1900s. Not mastering any Hungarian, I wrote her, checking if there was any English translation. There was none, unfortunately. The author, however, was so kind to take up her original article, even update and complete it, translate it into English, and consent I would now publish it on this blog, both in the English version and in an Italian translation, which I performed. I cannot but thank Zsuzsanna Benkő for her gracious kindness. (Giovanni Mazzaferro)
* * *
In the first half of the 20th century, besides
the ruling avant-garde schools, the influence of the Gödöllő Artists’ Colony
was a powerful one, too. We should take into account not only the survival of
the art nouveau elements, but also the ideology of the colony’s artists, which
inspired many.
The Gödöllő Artists' Colony was mainly marked
by the name of the founders Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch (1893-1920) and Sándor
Nagy. Their decorative art, aspiring for the perfect Gesamtkunstwerk [1] along with their rich idealism affected artists,
naturally the deepest the ones in direct contact with them. This fact is supported by the existence of the
three artists’ societies that were directly related to the colony, and were
formed on the basis of the common principles.
The founder of the Guild Members’ Society (Céhbeliek)
was Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch himself. The basic idea of the society was the
belief in Art, and they organised exhibitions without stylistic restraints. The
Spiritual Artists’ Society (Spirituális Művészek Szövetsége) was
created by a member of the Gödöllő Artists’ Colony, György Jenő Remsey, and was
based on the moral principles of the colony, so that the members of the society
would fight for the intellectual redemption of humankind. The Cennini
Society (Cennini Társaság) was
founded by the former college students of Körösfői-Kriesch. They consciously
remained far from the actual avant-garde trends, and chose a traditional,
religious and deeply moral art instead.
Each of the three societies followed different
aspects of the colony's efforts. The Guild
Members Society was held together by the person of Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch,
and their program, their “deep faith in art”. The Spiritual
Artists Association – similarly to Körösfői’s Guild Members - reflected the ars
poetica of the colony member and founder Jenő Remsey, who regarded art as a
form of life and the artist as a prophet. In his world view the ideas of
Christianity, Gnosticism and Theosophy were mixed with the thoughts of Nietzsche
and Jenő Boér [2] in a transcendent mixture. Meanwhile the members of the Cennini Society deemed the mural
traditions rediscovered by the colony the most important, and fought for a moral
and religious art that would also incorporate Hungarian folk art motifs.
Körösfői’s respect for Cennini was well known,
and has a written record as well: his fresco entitled The Source of Art (1907, Academy of Music) is dedicated to the
Italian master “My gratitude to Cennino Cennini, homage to the Siennese
masters”. He treated Cennino Cennini’s (c.
1360 – before 1427) [3] work entitled Il
Libro dell'Arte o Trattato della Pittura (c. between 1390-1400) [4] as a
bible, where the Italian master quite
elaborately described the techniques and recipes of painting. Körösfői-Kriesch,
similar to the English Pre-Raphaelites regarded it utterly important to reach
back, even in his technique, to his ideal, the mural paintings of the late
medieval - early Renaissance Italy.
 |
| Fig 1. Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch: The Source of Art. Fresco at the Budapest Academy of Music Source of the picture: http://www.bibl.u-szeged.hu/inf/szakdoli/2003/puskas/korosf_muv2.html |
As Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch during his student
years had all the types of education (learnt at the Budapest School of
Decorative Arts, Károly Lotz's School, attended the Munich Academy, the
Venetian Academy, the Julian Academy in Paris and was a private student of Bertalan
Székely [5] he had gained an insight into almost all kinds. Thus his principles
of art education crystallized on the basis of his own experience, and he
concluded that the biggest problem with academic education is its
"unrealistic, outdated, authoritarian and anti-individualist system".
Not only in painting, but also in art education his idols were Bertalan Székely
and the English predecessors, the Pre-Raphaelites, who both regarded the
guild-type workshop system and the balance of theoretical and practical education
as the solution [6]. Körösfői repeatedly put his educational principles in
writing, then in the practice (he began to teach at the Academy in 1911) and
trained the next generation of both theoretically and practically trained and
skilled professionals. He thought that all fields of art are based on craftsmanship,
which – contrary to art, which is an innate talent - can be taught, and it is
essential, since "the real thing, great art can only be reached through
great craftsmanship." [8] Therefore one of the key concerns of his program
was the thorough understanding of all painting techniques and a workshop-like,
practical application of this knowledge. This effort coincided with the 1910s
reforms in the Hungarian School of Applied Arts, reflecting to the reforms of
the English Arts and Crafts movement, resulting in a number of commissions for
exterior building decoration executed by the decorative painting class in the
first decade of the century. These commissions enabled the students to try a
wide range of the studied techniques, and their involvement in the practical
work.
Körösfői acquired most of his knowledge of
traditional painterly techniques from Cennini’s Trattato, and forwarded this technical knowledge to his students.
Though one should not forget about the dangers of the manuscript being survived
in copies and translations – the possible consequences of the deterioration of
the text itself, the technical mistranslations and the parts that had been
missed out because of having been obvious to the contemporaries [9]. Nevertheless
Körösfői was called by many the 20th century Hungarian reviver of the real a fresco technique - even though his
predecessors, teachers (eg, Károly Lotz) also used true fresco techniques. By
all means Körösfői returned to what he thought to be the traditional techniques
and manual work processes – he made his students powder and mix their own paint
and work according to them. His teaching and working method can be examined
perfectly in Zebegény, through the design and execution of the wall paintings
of the Catholic church, that he - as an art pedagogical task - gave to one of
his best students and assistants: György Leszkovszky. [10]
 |
| Fig. 2.: Nádor Gábor, György Leszkoszky, Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch and Ferenc Ortner (left to right) on a photo-postcard, sent from Tirgu Mures during the execution of the decoration of the Cultural Palace, to Elemér Czakó, director of the School of Applied Arts on 30 August, 1914. At auction: 2010.12.14., Opera Antikvárium. Source of the picture: http://axioart.com/popup_pic.php?pic=images/live_images/original/2695/309.jpg |
György Leszkovszky (1891-1968) was in his 5th
year at the Academy when he became Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch’s student in 1911,
and already had a strikingly similar style to his master [11]. He joined the
circle of Körösfői-Kriesch, took part in the decoration of the Cultural Palace
of Tirgu Mures, became his assistant professor, and in 1913 he was commissioned
to design and conduct the implementation of the mural decoration of the Roman
Catholic Church of Zebegény (1910-14), which Körösfői-Kriesch regarded as an
art pedagogical task, where he also worked with the other members of the future
Cennini Society: Antal Diósy and
Vince Hende.
|
| Fig.3. Zebegény, interior. Source of the picture: http://www.utazzitthon.hu/galeria-latnivalo.php?id=936 |
György Leszkovszky followed the painting
techniques and spirituality of Körösfői, such as his respect to Cennino Cennini.
As he wrote in 1930 in the periodical Magyar
Iparművészet: "My unforgettable master Körösfői-Kriesch Aladár revived
the real fresco technique based on the book of Cennino Cennini, and I owe most of my knowledge about fresco painting
to him” [12] It is a significant evidence for his respect that when Leszkovszky
founded an art society gave the name Cennini to the new company.
The Cennini
Society was founded in December 1920, soon after the death (16 June 1920) of
Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch by his ex-students: György Leszkovszky, Vince Hende,
Antal Diósy and the goldsmith teacher of the School of Applied Arts, István Csajka.
The name of the Society could be regarded as a tribute to the master, and is
explained in the preface of the catalogue of the Society's first exhibition,
held in January 1921. György Leszkovszky’s preface written in the name of the Cennini Society includes a short
biography of Cennino Cennini and describes the reasons of their choice:
Körösfői-Kriesch’s high regard of the Italian master, and the fact, that Leszkovszky,
Diósy and Hende mainly dealt with fresco painting at that time. However, according
to the Society’s view, with this traditionalist attitude based on moral values
they got away from the current tendencies, and opposed, "the conception
that places Impressionism and the extremist tendencies above everything else,
thus making superficiality almost compulsory in art." [13]
Since they were mainly involved in fresco
painting and designing stained glass windows, they could present only a part of
their craftwork - watercolour paintings, designs, tapestries and sculptures –
to the audience of the Nemzeti Szalon (National Salon) in their exhibitions.
Critics have mostly highlighted the influence of Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch, calling
the Cennini Society the spiritual
heir of the deceased master. [14]
The poster of their first exhibition was
designed by Antal Diósy, and shows a hooded monk sitting in the middle of a
flowery field. The monk is drawing or writing something on a paper in his lap,
and around him there are Christian symbols: passion flowers, lilies and doves,
showing the society’s spiritual attitude, their humble approach to art, and
their religious, virtuous aspect of life. The simplified version of this
drawing monk became the symbol of the Cennini
Society, appearing on all the covers of all their exhibition catalogues,
though in a relatively altered form from the second exhibition (1922) onwards.
From 1922 the logo is framed and the name of the society is written inside the
circular frame.
 |
| Fig.4.: Antal Diósy: Poster for the first exhibition of the Cennini Society. Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem Fonte: Könyvtár. Source of the picture: http://voyager.arts7.hu/voyager/images/plakat/plakat75.jpg |
 |
| Fig.5: The catalogue of the first exhibition of the Cennini Society. Nemzeti Szalon, 1921, Szépművészeti Múzeum Könyvtára. |
 |
| Fig.6: The catalogue of the second exhibition of the Cennini Society. Nemzeti Szalon, 1922; Szépművészeti Múzeum Könyvtára |
The famous contemporary critic Arthur Elek in
the columns of the periodical Nyugat
(West) directly labelled the Society as "Aladár Körösfői Kriesch’s sowing"
that had sprouted from inspiration of his fresco at the Music Academy,
dedicated to Cennino Cennini. He also
emphasised that the members of the Society followed the theoretical and
technical teachings of Körösfői-Kriesch and that they "decided not to let
the painting tradition started by Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch fade away." [15]
According to Jenő Remsey, a member the Gödöllő artists' colony, the works of
the Cennini Society are characterised
by a "high level of self-discipline, sense of style and above all, a
devout respect for the artistic ethic, and steadfast love of the knowledge of
the craft" and thus they provide a model for their peers. [16]
It is important to note though that the members
of the Cennini Society did not share
Körösfői-Kriesch’s view of life that incorporated pantheism, Gnosticism, Tolstoyism
and prophetism – the art of the members was characterized by deep religiosity,
categorical respect for tradition and an infinite humility towards the arts. Accordingly
most of their topics were religious in nature, mostly executed as church frescoes.
During the existence of the Cennini Society they had three
exhibitions, all of them in the Nemzeti Szalon (National Salon), and all were positively reported
in the daily newspapers, emphasizing the legacy of Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch when
analysing the "slightly schoolish and stilted" but at the same time "quiet
and clean" art of the members. [17]
Only the founders participated in the first two
exhibitions, but at the third exhibition the Society expanded its membership. The
Gödöllő Artists Colony’s heritage - the “Gesamtkunstwerk
attitude” - also manifested in these exhibitions: the artists equally presented
fine art and applied art works: mostly watercolour landscapes, but also
literary illustrations, wall painting designs, glass windows and design and theatrical
scenery designs.
The first exhibition was held in the National
Salon in January 1921. Antal Diósy presented himself with 131 pieces of
artwork, mainly aquarelles, pencil, crayon and coal drawings - mostly
landscapes of Hungarian lands, and his memories of the First World War - amongst
others a lithography and etching entitled the Allegory of War, showing mourning naked women over a soldier, while
the riders of the Apocalypse hover over them. Vince Hende similarly presented
aquarelle landscapes but around half of his 64 works were sketches and drawings
from theatrical performances and stained glass window designs with various
topics from Tristan and Isolde to the Madonna. György Leszkovszky had the
fewest works at the first exhibition, only 15 pieces, half of them watercolour
paintings, the other half his self-taught sculptural works.
 |
| Fig.7: Antal Diósy: The Allegory of War. Lithography, before 1922. Antal Diósy Heritage, Gödöllő Municipal Museum |
The second exhibition took place in the next
year, in December 1922. [18] Again the three founder artist presented
themselves, and similarly to the previous year, approximately half of the
exhibited works were watercolour paintings. The other half though brought
surprises to the public: Antal Diósy showed his tapestry designs and also ready
woven carpets as well. The carpets had their topics from Hungarian (Székely)
ballad circle and world literature: Kelemen Kőmíves, Kata Kádár, At the end of September (Sándor Petőfi),
Dante, Isolde, - and were both stylistically and technically closely related to
the carpets of Gödöllő weaving workshop. [19]
 |
| Fig.8: Antal Diósy: Dante. Photo of a tapestry. Antal Diósy Heritage, Gödöllő Municipal Museum |
 |
| Fig.9: Antal Diósy: Kata Kádár. Photo of a tapestry design. Antal Diósy Heritage, Gödöllő Municipal Museum. |
 |
| Fig.10: Antal Diósy: Kelemenné Kőmíves. Photo of a tapestry design. Antal Diósy Heritage, Gödöllő Municipal Museum . |
 |
| Fig.11.:György Leszkovszky: Laura/Study for a portrait. Published in: s.n.: A Cennini-Társaság a Nemzeti Szalonban Színházi Élet, 1922. (s.no.) p.37. |
Vince Hende presented mainly the proofs of his
applied art commissions: designs for frescoes, glass windows, and many charcoal
drawings and tempera paintings. György Leszkovszky besides his watercolour
paintings depicting Hungarian landscapes and buildings showed to the public
some of his gyps sculptures, and his design for the interior painting of the
Chapel of the Benedictian Abbey of Tihany (which is only one of the numerous
church interiors he painted in the following 40 years) and his watercolour
series that illustrates one of the poems of the famous Hungarian poet, Endre
Ady, entitled To cry, to cry, to cry
(Sírni, Sírni, sírni).
 |
| Fig.12:György Leszkovszky, Study for “To listen to the humming organs/And the deep rumbling of the grave bells”, c. 1921, watercolour on paper, 495 x 400 mm. Gödöllői Municipal Museum, Gödöllő. Inv.No.: K.2007.117. (photo: Zsuzsanna Benkő) |
 |
| Fig.13: Vince Hende: Design for a glass window. Published in: s.n.: A Cennini-Társaság a Nemzeti Szalonban Színházi Élet, 1922. (s.no.) p.37. |
It is really probable that the Society planned
the next exhibition in the National Salon the year 1923, since the heritage of
Antal Diósy includes a poster sketch for this occasion depicting a Middle Ages
aristocratic lady/princess, and in her heraldry one can read the date of the
planned exhibition (January 1923). For some reason the next exhibition however
only took place in 1926, four years after the second, though the place was the
same, the National Salon. [20]
 |
| Fig.14.Antal Diósy: Sketch for the poster of the third exhibition of the Cennini Society, 1923. Antal Diósy Heritage. Gödöllő Municipal Museum. |
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| Fig.15: The catalogue of the third exhibition of the Cennini Society. Nemzeti Szalon, 1922.; Szépművészeti Múzeum Könyvtára. |
At the third
exhibition of the Cennini Society
there were new members: Móric Gábor, Ede Halápy, Jenő Horváth, Lajos Márton - painters
and graphic artists. Vince Hende, again,
brought mainly designs for monumental commissions – at that time he was
painting ceiling frescos for villas and theatres, designing glass windows, and
he made the design for a carpet made in the weaving workshop of Gödöllő, the Two Shepherd (Juhászos) – the only tapestry from the above mentioned ones that is
still intact, and on show in the Hungarian Museum of Applied Arts, all the rest
of the carpets are lost. It depicts two Hungarian shepherds, one of them is
playing the flute. The frame is very closely linked to Körösfői-Kriesch Aladár tapestry
designs.
Antal Diósy brought three tapestries, and
watercolour paintings from his study trips to Amsterdam and Paris in the
previous years. Ede Halápy presented only aquarelles, György Leszkovszky and
Lajos Márton a variety of oil, tempera paintings, charcoal and pencil drawings,
while Jenő Horváth debuted with his illustrations for the Hungarian writer,
Ferenc Móra’s Georgikon.
 |
| Fig.16:Vince Hende: Tchaikovsky serenade. Új Idők, 1926. XXXII. no. 7. p.188. |
 |
| Fig.17. Jenő Horváth: Illustration for Ferenc Móra’s Georgikon. Királyi Magyar Egyetemi Nyomda, Budapest, s.a., p. 41.. |
It is still impossible to exactly determine the
date of the termination of the Cennini
Society [21]. After the three
exhibitions all members acted independently, either as a church interior painter
and art teacher, such as György Leszkovszky, (returned to the practice and
techniques of his master and Cennini) or continued as a stained glass window
designer and villa painter as Vince Hende, or became first a caricaturist, then
a mural painter, finally a renowned aquarellist, as Antal Diósy.
NOTES
* Excerpt from the
author’s study entitled ’The Guild Members, the Cennini Society and the
Spiritual Artists.Artists’ societies as the descendants of the Gödöllő Artists’
Colony.’ originally published as: Céhbeliek, Cenniniek, Spirituálisok –
Művésztársaságok a gödöllői művésztelep jegyében. In: Tüskés Anna (szerk.): Ars
Perennis. Fiatal Művészettörténészek II. Konferenciája, tanulmányok. CentrArt
Egyesület, Budapest, 2010.169-175. Amended and translated by the author.
[1] Gesamtkunstwerk is a German expression
meaning a ʺtotal artwork”, or ʺsynthesis of art works” and refers to a work of
art that uses many art forms. The concept is closely related to architecture,
especially the Viennese Secession and the German Bauhaus, and the notion that
artists and architects should also be craftsmen, who are responsible for the
design and execution of the whole building, including wall decoration,
furniture, carpets etc.
[2] Jenő Boér
was a Transylvanian doctor and aristocrat who was interested in philosophy and
religion, and wrote numerous books in the topic. His mansion in Diód can be
regarded as a predecessor to the Gödöllő Artists’ Colony.
[3] HEITLER
András: Szavak és képek. A festés művészete Cennino Cennini Il libro dell’arte
című értekezésében és az itáliai festészeti tárgyú írásművekben a 14. századtól
a 16. század közepéig. DLA értekezés, Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem Doktori
Iskola 2012. 11. Available on-line: http://www.mke.hu/sites/default/files/attachment/Heitler%20Andr%C3%A1s,%20DLA%20%C3%A9rtekez%C3%A9s%20%C3%A9s%20mestermunka_1.pdf
[4] HEITLER
András 2012. 18.
[5] Bertalan
Székely (1835-1910) one of the greatest Hungarian history painter of the
Romanticism. He was also a renowned teacher of the Hungarian School of Art.
[6] RÉVÉSZ
Emese: Művészeti nevelés a gödöllői
művésztelep mestereinek elméletében és gyakorlatában. In: GELLÉR Katalin –
G. MERVA Mária – ŐRINÉ Nagy Cecília (szerk.): A gödöllői művésztelep 1901-1920. Gödöllő, GVM 2003. 161-171.,
RÉVÉSZ Emese: Művészeti nevelés reformja
a századfordulón és a gödöllői művésztelepen. Ars Hungarica 31. évf.
2003.1. 73-110.
[7] As the
leader of the Gödöllő Workshop he was already a commissioned teacher of the Academy in 1907, but he became a
teacher of the Decorative Painting Faculty only in the academic year of
1911-1912. RÉVÉSZ 2003. 168.
[8] Among
others KRIESCH Aladár: Összefoglalás - A
művészeti nevelés kérdéséhez –. Műcsarnok 4. évf. 1901. 5. 93-96., KRIESCH
Aladár: A magyar nép művészetének jövője.
Népmívelés 1. évf. 1906. 1-2. 159-165.
[9] Ifj. BÓNA
István: A gödöllői iskola és a festészeti
technikák. In: GELLÉR et all 2003. 107-122.
[10]
KÖRÖSFŐI-K. Aladár: A zebegényi templom
kifestése, mint művészetpedagógiai feladat. Magyar Iparművészet 17. évf.
1914. 428-445. More on the church of Zebegény: Benkő Zsuzsanna: „A zebegényi templom kifestése, mint művészet-pedagógiai feladat” - Leszkovszky György munkái a váci egyházmegyében.
Conference lecture at the conference entitled A magyar szecesszió a Váci Egyházmegyében. 2013. szeptember 06.
Nagypréposti palota, Vác. http://bzs-arthistory.webnode.hu/tanulmanyok/a-zebegenyi-templom-kifestese-mint-muveszetpedagogiai-folyamat/
[11] Az Iparművészeti Iskola Évkönyve
(1908-1909) 12.; (1910-1911) 26.; (1911-1912) 24, 26.; (1912-1913) 21, 31.;
(1914-1915) 75.; (1930) 78, 83.; Az
Iparművészeti Iskola tanárai és szakoktatói. In: Az Iparművészeti Iskola Évkönyve (1934-1936) 46; n. n.: Az Országos Magyar Királyi Iparművészeti
Iskola tanárai, tanársegédei. In: Díszítő Festészet. (1912-1914) 52.; MEZEI
Ottó: Az Orsz. M. Kir. Iparművészeti
Iskola (1880-1944) oktatási rendszere és forrásai. Művészettörténeti
Értesítő 24. évf. 1975. 1. 37-55., 55
[12]
LESZKOVSZKY György: A freszkó. Magyar
Iparművészet 33. évf. 1930. 1-2. 19.
[13] A Cennini Társaság első kiállításának katalógusa.
Nemzeti Szalon, Budapest, 1921.
[14] DÉNES
Jenő: Körösfői-Kriesch Aladár.
Budapest, 1939. 83.; n.n.: A Cennini
Társaság megalakulása. Magyar Iparművészet, 1920.92.; n.n.: A Cennini Társaság kiállítása. Műbarát,
1921.20.; e.a.: A Cennini Társaság első
kiállítása. Az Újság, 1921.jan.16.,5.
[15] ELEK
Artúr: Körösfői-Kriesch Aladár vetése.
Nyugat. 1921. 3.szám. Képzőművészeti Figyelő.
[16] REMSEY
Jenő: A Cenniniek. Magyar
Iparművészet. 1921. 17-18.
[17] ELEK
Artúr: A Cennini Társaság kiállítása.
Nyugat, 1926. 4.sz. Képzőművészeti Figyelő.
[18] Articles
in the daily newspapers for example: e.a.: A
Cennini Társaság kiállítása. Az Újság. 1922.dec.31. 5.; N.A.: A Cennini Társaság kiállítása.
Magyarság, 1922.dec.31.; n.n.: A Cennini
Társaság kiállítása. Műbarát, 1923. III.évf. 22.
[19] More on
the exhibitied carpets: BENKŐ Zsuzsanna: A
hagyomány fonala. A Cennini Társaság és a Céhbeliek kiállításain szereplő
kárpitok. In: ŐRINÉ Nagy Cecília (Szerk.): A gödöllői szőnyeg 100 éve. Tanulmányok a 20.századi magyar
textilművészet történetéhez. Gödöllői Városi Múzeum, Gödöllő, 2009. 53-65.
[20] F.J.: A Cennini Társaság harmadik kiállítása.
Pesti Hírlap. 1926 jan.31.2..; n.n.: A Cennienieknek… Magyar Iparművészet,
1926.42. ; n.n.: A Cennini Társaság
harmadik kiállítása. Magyar Művészet 1926.47.; e.a.: A Cennini Társaság kiállítása.
[21] Presently
the sole information regarding the further fate of the Society is a note in the
1934-36 Annales of the Hungarian Academy
of Applied Arts ( az Országos
Iparművészeti Iskola 1934-36-os Évkönyve) about György Leszkovszky, the
teacher, which mentions him as a member of the Cennini Society in 1936. Nevertheless it is not unambigous whether
the society was active at that time or if it was only a nominal title.
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