5876

Preparatory drawing

Sándor Kozma

Seated half-length to the right, full face to the viewer, his right arm resting on the arm of the chair; a further indistinct sketch in the top right corner of the paper

Pencil on grey paper, 30.7 x 24.1 cm (12 x 9 ½ in.)

Department of Prints and Drawings, Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest

Inventory no: 1935 - 2808

A finished portrait of the sitter has yet to be identified, however, the present picture is typical of the artist’s preparatory drawings made to decide the composition.

Sándor Kozma, 1825-1897, a lawyer, was a Member of Parliament in 1861 and High Court Judge in 1869. After the establishment of the office of Chief Public Prosecutor, he became the first holder of this title, from 1872-1896. As Chief Public Prosecutor, he was concerned with the organisation and establishment of the state prosecution service.  He was active in prison reform and in measures against police malpractice in the investigation of crime and the questioning of suspects.

PROVENANCE:  

Purchased from Dr. Pál Majovszky by the Hungarian National Gallery, 1935

BS 2016