Page 58 - Studio International - May 1965

New books

really becoming lost in the sand and the painted. The largest, Baalbek. measures no
so-called unflinching pioneers (liberal less than 12ft 10 in by almost 27 ft is with
gentlemen) display only fresh and healthy others of great size in the Hungarian
faces. but. actually, in the light of long­ National Gallery where only one can be
term history, are the very incarnation of displayed at a time. During his lifetime
exhaustion. then a great moment has Csontvary travelled widely and his greatest
arrived and I hail those who are working achievements were made in Sicily,
towards the impending reformation·. Pro­ Lebanon and the Holy Land. When his
phetic words I This is fascinating and work was shown at the Brussels Exhibition
untapped original material that will seven years ago he was described by
delight al! who adore Klee. critics as the 'Douanier Rousseau of the
Danube' and while superficially there are
Ghika resemblances the fact is that Csontvary
Pamtmgs, drawings and sculpture. lmro­ required. like Cezanne. the stimulation of
ducuon by Christian Zervos. Texts by the motive to produce his best work as in
Stephen Spender and Patnck Leigh the monumental landscape referred to and
Fermor. 7 2i by 9¾ m. 222 pp. 7 7 7 plates others including The Valley of Tarpatak m
(27 in colour). London: Lund Humphries. the Tatra. and Ruins of the Greek Theatre
£5 5s. at Taormina. and View of 1he Dead Sea
Ghika is one of the most outstanding from Temple Square m Jerusalem. Without
Greek painters living. His metier was per­ following closely the tenets of any school
fected in the international atmosphere of or movement, Csontvary had a unique
Paris. though he has remained, in a style that was unmistakably his own In
strongly indent1fiable way, allied close to which luminous colour gave a brightness
the country of his birth and heritage. In to his canvases that were without faithful
later years. he has adapted the inventions relationship to the local colour of the
and accumulated styles to the expression scene. His drawing was of a stylised
of his vision. inspired by the Greek islands naturalism that had a vivid animation 111
and their unique atmosphere and air of some of the crowded figure composition.
continuing history. This sumptuously His last nine years of life were unproduc­
produced book presents within two covers tive and his mind suffered much derange­
the printed record of a distinguished ment until his death in 1919.
achievement in painting and life that In his long penetrative, and thoroughly
lends itself to enJoyable looking. Christian critical text LaJos Nemuth who is perhaps
Zervos. frorn a long acquaintance with the Hungary's best living art historian traces
artist's work. makes discerning Judgments Csontvary's life and painting progress
on the progressive periods. Stephen with clear explanatory prose. The illus­
Spender writes of the man and Patrick trations In colour and monochrome reflect
Leigh Fer mor describes the physical back­ the undoubted genius of a Hungarian
ground to Ghika's origins and paintings as artist of whom too little Is known outside
only he can, Reproductions are of the his native land. Production and design
first class and Ghika's own writings reveal of the book are excellent.
a sensitive and articulate mind. not only in
regard to art but to life. Appreciations con­ Picasso at Work
Paul Klee 1879-1940 The Diaries of Paul Klee 1898-1918 tain comments from Henry Miller. mter al1a Photography by Edward Quinn. Text by
Lost ,n thought
(Self-portrait) 1919 Edited, with an mtroducuon by Felix Klee. and there is a complete bibliography. Roland Penrose. 13: x 701 in. 282
Lithograph, 24 5X18 cm. 70½ by 71 1n. xx + 424 pp. (London: Editor's Note: A one-man exhibition by pho10graphs (52 m full colour). London:
Klee Sllftung. Bern Peter Owen Ltd.) £4 4s. Ghika will be showing at the Leicester W H. Allen £6 6s.
For the first time In English the four Galleries. London. during May. More than thirteen years ago, Edward
diaries of Paul Klee have been translated Quinn. while working as a freelance
and are now published with illustrations Csontvary photographer. photographed Picasso with
not only of several out-of-the-way photo­ By Lajos Nemeth (uanslated by Zsuzsanna his children at a ceramics exhibition at
graphs of the artist but of manuscript texts Horn). 235 pp. 73¼ x 8¼ tn. W1th 24 Villauris. Picasso liked the photographs
and drawings. The first diary was begun colour plates and 84 black and white Jllus­ and allowed Quinn to come and watch
when Paul Klee was nineteen years old. uauons (Budapest: Corv1na Press: orders him at work and to 'shoot' what he liked.
He goes to Munich and studies first with 10 Kultura. Budapest 62. P.O.B. 749.) The result excellently got together with
Knirr and then with Stuck. His comments Born in 1853. the same year as Van Gogh an introduction and notes by Roland
on his professors. his fellow students. his with whom he displayed some affinities Penrose. an old friend. is one of the most
travels to Italy and later to Tunisia make Tivadar Csontvary became one of the most truly revealing exposes of the Grand Old
fascinating reading, no less than the interesting figures of modern Hungarian Man of modern art that has yet emerged
devastating self-criticism and analysis. Art. His ·conversion· to painting occurred in from a printing press-this one in Zurich.
Klee is a musician too and plays the violin as strange a manner as any that occurred in Switzerland. famed for fine printing. We
in an orchestra; he attends concerts and his intensely active life. Already an adult he see Picasso against the backgrounds
marries a pianist. The joy in music that worked as a pharmacist and encouraged by where he works and lives. with his
pervades the Klee household is recounted the chance remark of his employer and a children and wife. making the famous film
by the artist's son Felix who tells of his 'voice· which identified him as a genius he La Mystere Picasso with Clouzot. trying
father's return from military service to play went to art schools in Munich and Paris. on his famous hat collection, entertaining
Bach and Mozart sonatas with his wife. As Then in order to make enough money to visitors and looking at the drawings by
a writer Klee shows himself a poet of talent devote himself to painting as a career he his son Claude. Picasso himself actively
and an art critic of perception. as witness established a pharmacy home in Hungary. co-operated in the production of book by
the quotation from his Munich news-letter Without any degree of self-conscious drawing in colour the two cover composi­
'which I wrote for Switzerland' in 191 2 pretence. he saw himself as surpassing tions and the chapter decorations. Weigh­
about the Blaue Reiter group, of which he Raphael and in his most productive phase ing almost five pounds. the book is
was a member: 'If, as I believe. the between 1903 and 1910 he created several sumptuously splendid. with Picasso as
currents of yesterday's traditions are of the largest plein air canvasses ever always his own best expositor.
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