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One of the most anticipated lots of this year’s auction season, Mihály Munkácsy’s large-scale painting Rendezvous by the Window, sold for HUF 155 million (EUR 387,376) at the autumn auction of the Judit Virág Gallery. It is the most expensive sale on the art market so far this year, reports Index. The auction was held to a huge turnout, which is no wonder, as almost all the “greats” of Hungarian classical painting were represented. Among them were important paintings by János Vaszary, Béla Kondor, and László Mednyánszky.
The auctioning of a work by Mihály Munkácsy always attracts a great deal of attention, both at home and abroad. This was no different at the autumn auction at the Judit Virág Gallery, where a large oil painting by the Hungarian genius sold for HUF 155 million after a lengthy bidding process. The painting, Rendezvous by the Window, was painted in France and was soon acquired by a Hungarian art collection in 1914. According to a statement from the gallery, the painting was found in excellent condition, having been very well cared for by its owners.
Rendezvous by the Window broke this year’s sales record.
The Munkácsy painting started from an opening price of HUF 40 million (EUR 99,944) and went on to HUF 155 million.
The auction at the Judit Virág Gallery saw huge interest in many lots, with several works selling for many times their starting price, up to ten times the asking price.
János Vaszary’s Flower Arranging (At the Garden Table), 1909, captures the intimate moment when the painter’s wife Mimi arranges flowers in the bright summer sunshine. One of the most sought-after Hungarian painters, Vaszary’s colorful, spectacular, and lively paintings, painted with a light brush, are incredibly popular. Flower Arranging started at HUF 65 million (EUR 162,409) and climbed to HUF 90 million (EUR 224,874).
Béla Kondor’s 1961 painting Nun and the Priest (Priest and Priestess) is considered one of the most important works of his tragically short-lived oeuvre. Starting with a starting price of HUF 36 million (EUR 89,949), the important artwork eventually found a new owner for HUF 50 million (EUR 124,854).
The evening’s lots included a large and impressive work by László Mednyánszky, Foggy Landscape, painted around 1895. The eccentric aristocrat loved to wander alone in the wilderness and paint the natural wonders that came before his eyes. This painting was done in the Tatras, and the play of sunlight and mist makes the painting mysterious and spiritual. Foggy Landscape was finally sold at HUF 17 million (EUR 42,450).
“It has been a long time since I felt so good as an auctioneer. There were lots of bids, there was a huge amount of interest, and there was a palpable sense of confidence from the buyers. I was especially pleased to see many new faces, the younger generation is also interested in art,” said Anna Kelen, art historian and auction manager at the Judit Virág Gallery.
Via Index; Featured image via Facebook/Virág Judit Galéria