Lajos Petri
Having passed the Matura examination, he started studying law in Budapest and began to take lectures on art history.
He regularly attended the lectures of the art historian and art critic Gyula Pasteiner (1846 –1924); the philosopher, aesthete, translator and theatre critic Bernát Alexander (1850–1927); and literature historian Gusztáv Heinrich (1845–1922).
After having passed two basic exams (in German Rigorosum) in law, he continued his studies in Berlin.
He attended the lectures of du Bois-Reymond and Heinrich Wölflin (1864–1945) the Swiss art historian.
At the university library he read a lot by Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov and he had the opportunity to visit international exhibitions, which decisively directed him towards art.
Two bitter years passed by, yet he promised his mother that he would not go against his father's will, and he finished his university studies.
In May 1907 he obtained his degree at the faculty of law yet already in the week of the graduation ceremony he left the family home and – with the recommendation of a remote relative of his – he met the sculptor Eduard Telcs (Ede Teltsch, 1872–1948).
Telcs who had studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna accepted Pick as an apprentice.
Pick's characteristic style developed during the two years that he spent at the atelier of Telcs and he learnt a lot from him.
As he writes: “He [Telcs] taught me to respect art, to despise the inferior devices meant for effect and to recognise the worthlessness of kitsch” – and he adds – “What I learnt from him is that the artist shall be honest regarding his emotions and trustworthy when he creates a piece of art.
[2] Petri moved to Belgium so that he could establish his own atelier in Brussels and so that he could introduce himself in an international milieu.
He made acquaintance with Jules Lagae (1862–1931) and Egide Rombeaux (1865–1942) who frequently visited him in his atelier.
"Looking at the sculptures of my earlier years, it is clear that it was the form that enjoyed priority to the disadvantage of the drama and emotionality.
It was only the liberation of the later years that brought the perfection and completeness of emotionality, when the form of my sculptures started to bear only a secondary meaning.
I recognised that due to the sophisticated elaboration, the strength of expression weakened, and I tended to lose my capability of making the dynamics of the sculpture perceptible and the spontaneity of the message was gone, yet spontaneity is the best device to achieve effect.
He spent the following twelve years of his career in Belgium, where he was regarded as a significant sculptor famous for his portraits.
Although Lajos Petri had already become a successful sculptor at international level by this time, he was not really accepted in his home country.
During the period between 1925–1940, almost his entire time was consumed by submitting his applications to calls announced by the state.
This was a bitter epoch for him as his applications, which required plenty months of work, were in most of the cases rejected by the political establishment.
The year 1935 brought the recognition that he had been longing for as he received the greatest order from the Hungarian state, a monumental statue, a hussar on horseback.
In Hungary, this monument is considered as one of the greatest examples of statues in classical style commemorating historical events.
Following this he received several orders from the state yet World War II interrupted this new, successful period of his career.
After the war Kodály, who also played a leading role of rebuilding the cultural life in Hungary, supported Petri further on.
Petri's spirit was not broken, and finally after the war he began to receive many orders from the state.
He also started to publish his studies: From clay to marble, Depicting sport in art and About Monumentality.
However, the greatest value is intensifying all the characteristics of a face, all that is interesting in it; all significant attributes which are to be portrayed, everything that expresses the model’s personality.
Today Lajos Petri's sculptures are exhibited at the Hungarian National Gallery.
The list below is based on the translation of the booklet Petri Lajos szobrászművész gyűjteményes kiállítása published by the Nemzeti Szalon in 1960 (p. 15–18).
E.g. Petri's Monument to the 2nd Regiment of the Transylvanian Hussars is referred to on page 10–11, yet it is not listed later among the 147 statues and portraits.
Imre Madách (1823 –1864), Hungarian aristocrat, writer, poet, lawyer and politician (1939, terracotta) 54.
