What Happens When You Spend Time in Paris - The Shift Into 20th-Century Modernity

János Vaszary (1867-1939) hailed from a prominent Catholic family in Kaposvár, Hungary. How prominent? Well, his uncle was the Archbishop of Esztergom, which was a very big deal back in those days. 

​Vaszary began pursuing art quite early in his life, and displayed notable technical talent. Yet what makes him particularly interesting as a painter is the remarkable shift in style that basically cleaves the oeuvre of his work into two distinct Jekyll and Hyde-ish parts that I will refer to here as pre-Paris and post-Paris.

Vaszary's pre-Paris paintings comprise those he painted before he moved to the City of Light in 1899. Note the style and subject matter.   Peasant Girl in the Garden - 1893 (Not only my favorite Vaszary painting, but one of my favorite Hungarian paintings, full stop. The Command Has Arrived (Farewell!) - 1894 And the following paintings exemplify the style shifts Vaszary employed later in his life during and after his return from Paris after the turn of the century.  After Bathing - 1903 French Riveria - 1920 Nude with Buddha - 1926 Woman Sitting in the Garden - 1930 The Morphinist - 1930