WANTED: the relatives and heirs of Alfréd Lakos, a Hungarian Jewish painter

We are looking for the relatives and heirs of Alfréd LAKOS (1870-1961), a painter born in Székesfehérvár and living in Budapest, to search for the artist’s life and to collect material for a planned exhibition.

Keressük Lakos Alfréd (1870-1961)székesfehérvári születésű, Budapesten élt festőművész rokonait, örököseit, hozzátartozóit a művész életútjának felkutatására és egy tervezett kiállítás anyaggyűjtéséhez.

Gergely Anna történész-muzeológus

Elérhetőségek: [email protected] és 06/20-46-62-962

 

WANTED

We are looking for the relatives and heirs of Alfréd LAKOS (1870-1961), a painter born in Székesfehérvár and living in Budapest, to search for the artist’s life and to collect material for a planned exhibition.

LAKOS (Lőwy) Alfréd painter (1870, Székesfehérvár – 1961, Budapest)

He was born on October 20, 1870 in Székesfehérvár (Alba). His father was Adolf Löwy, and his mother Róza Hönig. He had ten brothers and sisters.

He had come from a poor family and, on his own, reached quite a lot: he became an art student at the Munich Academy, his masters were Bertalan Székely and Simon Hollósy.

His caricatures first appeared in foreign and Hungarian newspapers. After the turn of the century, his creative world was characterised by Judaism and biblical themes. His rabbi portraits and book still-lifes are also famous.

In 1925, the Pest Jewish Community organized a solo exhibition of his works. He regularly participated in OMIKE exhibitions from 1939 to February 1944. He was probably conscripted to forced labour service at that time. His two sons and his family members did not survive the Holocaust.

After 1945, in his art he turned towards the tragedy of the Jews in World War II, he depicted labour service, deportation, and the destiny of the Eternal Jew. Foreign collectors called him “Rembrandt of Hungarian Jewry”.

Dr. Anna Gergely

museologist, historian of modern times

[email protected] és 06/20-46-62-962