Hidden Drawings

My father, Imre Mezei – who was also known by his pen name of Imre Pán – was interested in the arts from his earliest years. This interest was spurred by his acquaintance with Lajos Kassák in the ‘20s as well as his natural interest in modern.

Thus, the beginnings of the graphic art collection reach back to the early ’30s. My father was convinced that he should acquire works from the best artists. However, since he was short of cash, he didn’t buy oil paintings from second rate artists, but graphic art from the best of his contemporaries. (Abroad, graphic art refers to reproduced works; here at home, it also designates everything that is one of a kind and was made on paper, i.e., drawings, water color, tempera, etc.)

In 1945 he became a founding member and the mainspring of the European School. During the years of Stalinist dictatorship, he kept his close ties to his painter friends, though the public exhibition of his works was out of the question. In 1957, the year following the revolution, he left Hungary, but continued in Paris where he had left off – he organized exhibitions, wrote and edited works on the arts, and continued his interest in literature and the fine arts.

Since then, I have been enhancing the collection here at home and, just like my father, I am also primarily interested in modern art. It is my conviction that Hungarian art has never been better or richer than it is now. The works of foreign artist are from my father and from Paris.

Gábor Mezei

December, 2006, Budapest