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| I recently attended an artist-in-residence
program in Budapest, Hungary sponsored by The Hungarian Multicultural Center.
To study for an extended time in a beautiful city has been a desire of
mine for several years. I stayed on the Pest side of the Danube River,
not far from the Parliament, overlooking The Chain Bridge. Many bridges
cross the Danube to the Buda side, and at night they are lit up dramatically.
This impressed me the most; the way the city was illuminated each night,
presenting me with completely different panoramas from the daytime. I walked
across The Chain Bridge in order to visit the Castle District. The Ludwig
Museum was the castle of Matthias Corvinus (ruled from 1458 until 1490),
the son of King Stephen. I took the Budavari Siklo (funicular railway)
to the top. |
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| Festival
of Our Lady Barcelona, Spain |
Two
Bridges Amsterdam |
New Year's Eve Budapest, Hungary |
My daily adventures in Hungary turned out to be explorations of city streets and scavenger hunts for the most stunning buildings in the Baroque style of architecture, as well as statues and bridges to inspire my paintings back at the studio provided for me. Along with a few of the other artists attending the residence, I embarked upon a day trip along the Danube Bend to Szentendre Muzeumai, a forty minute train ride north of Budapest. Szentendre (St. Andrew) was an artist’s colony from the late 1800’s to around 1930. Each artist provided for a small museum in their name to house their works of art. Margit Kovacs, one of Hungary’s greatest sculptors, Karoly Ferenczy, who originated the ‘Plein air’ style of Hungarian painting, Imre Amos-Margit Anna Museum with it’s Symbolist paintings of the 1930’s and 1940’s, the Barcsay Collection, and the watercolors of Janos Kmetty, to name a few. The rich cultural foundation of the Hungarian art was endlessly stimulating to us and we enjoyed good conversation on the train ride home. I frequented the Gypsy Markets, mostly enthralled with them and their existence throughout history in Eastern Europe. One morning, several of us decided to experience the Baths at The Gallert Hotel. I felt relaxed after a massage and enjoyed the time with the other bathers. There are many Bath Houses all over Budapest, which seem to be a place for locals to gather and even play chess while immersed in the healing spring waters. In the city of Pest, I found St. Stephen’s Basilica, a majestic, architecturally beautiful building, lusciously appointed, to dominate the city. I went there often to sit. Stephen was the first king of Hungary, crowned in the year 1000. The coronation crown, symbol of the country, is on display in the basilica. The painting of The Chain Bridge (below), Acrylic Paint on Canvas, measuring 48 X 60", is a tribute to the ongoing struggle of the people of Hungary-its purpose: to bring light to their existence, to illuminate their lives. I hope to return in the summertime to see the Sunflowers in bloom.
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