DLA039-0003  Translation

‘Philip de László on the Decline of Art’, Pesti Hírlap, 24 October 1936

Recovering in Brighton after a long illness, caused by a stroke, de László soon will be able to continue to do what he likes the most: his art – writes the artist in a letter to Ottó Légrády, the editor-in-chief of Pesti Hírlap.^[1] 

During his break, the Apollo magazine published an article Art of our Time, which is a lecture de László gave at the Royal Society of Art.

His thoughts were based on the words of  Michelangelo, saying he felt sorry that in art so far he only mastered the ABC. His desire to reach the summit, which keeps the development of the art constant, has disappeared. In our era we have to face the degradation of art. This is helped by the aesthetes, who assert that the depiction of nature is not art, only if someone creates art from his inner self. But the reality is, contrary to this, that art and nature are inseparable, and can not be replaced by the product of deranged people’s fantasy.

Our era has to believe in nature and has to learn again the craftsmanship of art.

To illustrate his thoughts, de László gave several examples, starting at the art of the cave dwellers.

What happens in the arts nowadays, is not a natural reform movement, such as that of the Pre-Raphaelites in England, or the Impressionists in France. They were not revolutionists, but the restorers of a spirit, which lead the big geniuses, such as Velasquez, Frans Hals, Goya or Reynolds. For example, when Manet rejected the conventions of his era, his aim was to restore the real colours and tone volumes of life. The trouble is, that big reformers, as Manet, had always a group of advertising men in their footsteps, each of them inventing a new art movement, and declaring that this new movement will change the whole art. Of course, they didn’t succeed.

Luckily, the signs of general improvement can be seen – notes de László.

(l.s.)

Editorial Notes:

Doctor László Siklóssy de Pernesz (1881–1951), Hungarian art critic; for biographical notes, see [111404].

See related item DLA037-0053, letter from Dr László Siklóssy to de László, 24 October 1936.