Adalbert Mikhailovich Erdeli

Background

Ethnicity: Adalbert Erdeli's parents were of Hungarian origin.

Erdeli was born in Kelemenfalva, Austria-Hungary (today Ukraine), on May 25, 1891.

Education

Adalbert Erdeli studied at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts from 1911 through 1915.

Career

Erdeli lived and taught in Mukačevo (now Mukachevo, Ukraine) from 1916. From 1922 to 1926 he resided and worked in Munich. In the year 1924 Adalbert Erdeli was present at the trial of the leaders of Beer Hall Putsch, first Nazis, making sketches for the newspaper from the courtroom. In 1926 he moved to Užhorod (now Uzhhorod, Ukraine).

Crucial for him was the decision to stay in France during 1929-1932, when the artist got acquainted with Parisian art, found the grounds for his own ideas, created modern Transcarpathian painting and became close with the circle of artists that included the post-Impressionists Max Vlaminck, Henri Matisse, and André Derain.

Together with József Boksai, Erdeli founded an art school in 1927, which eventually evolved into the Užhorod State Arts and Crafts College (today the Transcarpathian Art Institute). Erdeli and Boksay were among the primary figures of the stylistic school.

The second half of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s was the peak period in Adalbert Erdeli's oeuvre. Erdeli was a recognized portrait painter, his remarkable still-lifes were the embodiment of his love for the play of light and colours. His artworks were displayed at exhibitions in Munich Glaspalast and Paris Champs Elysees, in Brussels, Bratislava, Prague, Brno, and Budapest. The artistic periodicals were unanimously approving in their assessments.

Upon his return to Uzhhorod, Erdeli took an active part in the establishment of the Society of Fine Arts in Subcarpathian Rus’ in 1931. He taught painting in Mukachevo grammar school, teaching seminary in Uzhgorod. From 1945 till 1955 he served as a teacher at the Uzhgorod State Arts and Crafts College. In 1946 he became a director of the College and left this position in 1947.

Achievements

• Adalbert Erdeli was one of the most prominent figures of Transcarpathian art and was among the founders of the Transcarpathian school of painting.
  
  He was best-known for such his works as Engaged, Sanatorium Synyak, Autumn, Roses, Portrait of An Unknown Woman in Black, River, Allay in the Park, etc.
  
  Nowadays, his works are presented at the National Art Museum of Ukraine, the Transcarpathian Art Museum named after J. Bokshay, in Prague National Gallery and many others.

Works

More photos

• painting

  • Girl in Red

  • Still Life with a Clock

  • Still Life with Author's Sculpture

  • Portrait of An Unknown

  • Mountain Landscape

  • Still Life with a Figurine

  • Self Portrait

  • Church

  • Summer

  • Caricature

  • Portrait of the Famous Ukrainian Artist Tatiana Yablonska

  • A Road Along the River

  • Autumn

  • Caricature with a Bottle

  • River Uzh

  • In the Foothills of the Carpathians

  • River

  • Naked

  • Over the Water

  • Portrait of An Uknown Woman in Black

  • Flowers in a Vase

  • Engaged

  • Landscape with Houses

  • Castle. Slovakia.Red Hill

  • Still Life with a Guitar

  • Naked Model

  • Spring

  • Female Portrait

  • Sanatorium Synyak

  • Roses

  • Artist's Father

  • Alley in the Park

  • Naked Model

  • Female Portrait

  • Still Life with Lemons

  • Naked Model

  • Female Figure in the Interior

  • Cityscape

  • Seating Model

  • Caricature

Views

Quotations: "I am amazed at the death and birth of life, I bless the joy and the torment of life, I am fond of the infinite being of Father and Lord, and I see a constant transition to another of His works."

"I belong to my people, my art belongs to the world."

Interests

• Artists

  Paul Cézanne