111844

UNTRACED

Count Pál Széchényi de Sárvár-Felsővidék 1896

Oil [support and dimensions unknown]

The sitter’s son-in-law, Count József Mailáth [110819] was de László’s first significant aristocratic patron and in September 1896 invited the artist to his estate in Perbenyik in Hungary. During his first stay de László painted the sitter’s wife, née Countess Mária Széchényi [111089], a double portrait of their daughters Erzsébet and Stefanie [13008] as well as individual study portraits of  the two girls [112504][110899].

The artist had a previous commitment to paint six portraits of the Preetorious family [12564] and departed for Mainz in mid-October. He returned to Perbenyik in December 1896 to complete the remaining portraits commissioned by the Mailáth family. The present portrait and a second portrait of the sitter, described as being dressed in black [112206], were painted at this time. The present portrait was described by Count Mailáth: “My late father-in-law, Count Pál Széchényi, was staying with us at the time for shooting, and László made a small sketch of him. A delightful little picture. It took him only half an hour, a proof of his remarkable gifts of quick perception and rapid method of execution.”^[1] 

During his stay at Perbenyik de László also painted the sitter’s daughter Mária [111089][111841]; son-in-law Count József Mailáth [110819][111842]; grandson József Mailáth Jr [111845][113403] and granddaughters Erzsébet and Stefanie Mailáth [13008][110899][112504].

Count Pál Széchényi de Sárvár-Felsővidék was born on 6 November 1838 in Sopron, on the border with Austria west of Budapest, son of Count Pál Széchényi (1789-1871), Imperial and Royal Lieutenant-Colonel and Countess Emilia Zichy-Ferraris (1803-1866). He was the nephew of István Széchenyi (1791-1860), a notable Hungarian statesman, who proposed the construction of the Chain Bridge in Budapest, which now bears his name. It was the first permanent bridge to span the Danube.

After completing his studies in Nagyszombat, now Slovakia, Count Széchényi entered the priesthood but found he was more interested in agriculture and retired to his estate in Lábod in County Somogy. There, he took an active part in the formation of the Somogy County Economic Association. He was elected as a member of Parliament in 1875 and a year later became Vice-President of the National Economic Association. In 1882 he joined the Liberal Party and was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Trade. He organised the National Exhibition in 1885 for which he was awarded the Imperial Order of the Iron Crown. He resigned from his ministerial post in 1889.

In 1861, he married Countess Erzsébet Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka (1840-1926) daughter of  Count György  Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznah (1797-1872) and Countess Franziska von Königsegg-Aulendorff (1814-1971) There were  three children of the marriage: Aladár (born 1862), Mária (born 1863) and Emil (born 1865).

The sitter died on 28 October 1901 in Budapest.

LITERATURE:

•Hart-Davis, Duff, László Fülöp élete és festészete [Philip de László's Life and Painting], Corvina, Budapest, 2019, p. 49

•NSzL150-0040, letter from de László to Elek Lippich, 7 December 1896

•NSzL150-0041, letter from de László to Elek Lippich, 19 December 1896

•DLA111-0141, Count József Mailáth, Egyet-mást László Fülöpről [A few things about Philip László], In: Budapesti Hίrlap, 13 November 1927

BS 2024