DLA020-0246  Transcription

4th December 1933.

My dear Friend,

No doubt you will be astonished at my delay in writing and thanking you for your kind thought in sending me the book on your work with such a charming dedication. I very highly appreciate it, and will keep it as one of my most esteemed souvenirs. I am just writing a book on portrait painting, and shall give myself the pleasure of sending you a copy when it appears next March.^[1] Meanwhile, I send you an Art magazine “Apollo”, which contains an article on my work. My many duties prevent me very often from doing what I have at heart. Days are passing by, and I feel horrified that I have not written to you, and hope you will forgive the delay.

I am just off for a two months’ holiday, as I have been much overworked, but letters will be forwarded to me. It is possible that we will stop for two or three days quietly in Budapest on our way back from Morocco about the beginning of March, when we must meet. It is just six years since I was there and saw you all.

Now I wish to come to the matter of the contemplated Exhibition of Hungarian art about which your representative called on me last summer, and through whom you kindly sent me your book. You may have heard that some time ago, before your messenger came, Hubay^[2] wrote to me on this subject. I gave the matter full consideration, and wrote to him in great detail what I thought about it. Alas, I had no reply to this. Then came your representative quite unexpectedly to me, without any previous announcement.

The situation was of such a nature that it would

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have been impossible to do anything serious or worthy of Art in the way that he suggested. London is a very great place. The economic and artistic situation is very serious, as everywhere else. If you intend to have an Exhibition of Hungarian Art, it cannot and should not be done in the way that your representative contemplated. It must be done in a dignified way worthy of Hungarian Art, as I have already said in my letter to Hubay and Czók.^[3] It cannot be reduced to a market place. First keep in mind its moral success; the rest will come of itself. Besides, everything has to be carefully thought out: the arrangement, the place and the time.

I am quite sure, dear friend, that you will fully realise what I have now written to you. Further, if the Exhibition is going to be arranged, it must not be done privately, but must have the official support of the Hungarian Government, and be arranged with the full consent of the newly appointed Hungarian Minister here, Count Szechenyi,^[4] who is a delightful gentleman, and one who is sure to have Hungarian interests at heart. He would inform the Government and the notabilities of this country, and give an official statue to the first representation of Hungarian Art here since the War.

If you wish to write to me, please write to the above address. Letters will be forwarded to me.

With my best wishes and kindest regards,

Believe me,

Ever yours cordially,

Monsieur Iványi-Grünwald Béla,

Orcz. Magy. Képzőművészet: Társulat, Leveleivel,

Műcsarnok,

Budapest.

Editorial Note:

Béla Iványi-Grünwald (1867–1940), Hungarian painter

SMDL

12/09/2019