Expressionism in Hungary

Art historians in Hungary have largely ignored any appearances of expressionism before the First World War in Hungary, particularly the early reception and influence of German expressionism; thus it is appropriate to take a close look at exhibitions of expressionist art in Budapest and examine the reaction of the public and the art critics, as well as the effect they had on Hungarian art. The success of the modern trends, “-isms,” stylistic influences, and movements in Western Europe, and the development of their local variants have been central issues in Hungarian art history, which attempts to emphasize, above all, the influence of French art; in the past decade, large exhibitions have focused on the impact of art from Paris during the period before the First World War. ¹ During this same time, however, Germany and Austria also provided decisive impulses for Hungarian art, especially in the exhibition hall. During the First World War, Hungarian artists had direct contact with the art scene in Germany, and by the 1920s, owing to their emigration, Hungarian avant-garde artists had become active participants.