Hungarian Narratives in Győző Somogyi’s Painting

You are invited to the exhibition of the works by Győző Somogyi, a contemporary Hungarian painter. Nearly 50 works from the oeuvre of the artist are presented, featuring historical and sacred themes. The exhibition will be on view from 1 April to 30 June 2022 in the Cantonists’ Barracks in the Royal Łazienki Museum.

You are invited to the exhibition of the works by Győző Somogyi, a contemporary Hungarian painter. Nearly 50 works from the oeuvre of the artist are presented, featuring historical and sacred themes. The exhibition will be on view from 1 April to 30 June 2022 in the Cantonists’ Barracks in the Royal Łazienki Museum.

The exhibition forms quite a diverse selection of Győző Somogyi’s works. The core of the exhibition is a private collection kept in our country and presented for the first time to a wide audience. The natural and animalistic accents of the collection perfectly suit the theme around which the activity of the Museum of Hunting and Horsemanship revolves. There are also works with sacred and historical motifs that are particularly close to the Hungarian artist. The diversity of the collection is also expressed by the artistic techniques used. Here we find not only tempera and oil painting or greasy pastels, but also graphic techniques.

Interestingly illustrated books are an example of the artist’s versatility. Also worth mentioning are the wooden triptych revealing sacred themes, made using the egg tempera, one of the author’s favourite techniques, and the very precise miniatures of soldiers made of paper and covered with water paint.

Győző Somogyi is a very popular artist in his native country, Hungary. In Poland, he is a figure that is little known to a broad public. The exhibition at the Hunting and Horsemanship Museum is probably the first display of such a large number of the painter’s works. The artist was born in Budapest in 1942. He showed an interest in visual arts already in his early age. In 1960, he graduated in painting at the Gymnasium for Fine and Applied Arts. Three times, but without success, he tried to get into the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts while working in a print shop where he had the opportunity to familiarize himself with various graphic techniques. The first exhibitions of his graphic works were held in mid-1970s. Since 1980s, he has been producing paintings using the egg tempera technique, which was his preferred one. He was awarded the highest Kossuth Prize and is a member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts. He was also honoured with the title of Artist of the Nation.

The exhibition ‘Hungarian Narratives in Győző Somogyi’s Painting’ in the Cantonists’ Barracks of the Hunting and Horsemanship Museum – Branch of the Royal Łazienki Museum can be visited from 1 April to 30 June 2022. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday from 10.00 to 16.00 and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10.00 to 18.00. Entry with the ticket to the Museum of Hunting and Horsemanship, i.e.16 zlotys – normal ticket, 8 zlotys – reduced ticket, 1 zloty – children from 7 years of age and youth up to 26 years of age. Large Family Card: 12 zlotys – adults, 1 zloty – children from 7 years of age and youth up to 26 years of age. On Fridays, visits are free of charge.