Frauenakt im Walde, Maria Szantho (1898) Painting by Alex Apostol

Oil on Canvas, 53.2x31.5 in
$2,993.94
Shipping included

Customer's reviews (4)
Shipping from: Austria
14-day return policy
Shipping worldwide
100% secure transaction
Free Returns
Shipped by the seller: The shipping of this artwork is handled directly by the seller. Customs not included.
  • Packaging All artworks are shipped with a premium carrier, carefully protected and insured.
  • Tracking Order tracking until the parcel is delivered to the buyer. A tracking number will be provided so that you can follow the parcel in real-time.
  • Delay Most packages are delivered worldwide within 1 to 3 weeks (Estimate)
  • Customs not included The price does not include customs fees. Most countries have no import tax for original artworks, but you may have to pay the reduced VAT. Customs fees (if any) are to be calculated on arrival by the customs office and will be billed separately by the carrier.
ArtMajeur guarantees you to make every effort to enable you to acquire authentic original works at the fairest price, or reimburse you in full.
  • Trackable Online Certificate of Authenticity Authenticity Certificates can be verified online at any moment by scanning the artwork code.
  • Artist Value Certification Experts study the work and career of an artist then establish an independent and reliable average price value. The average price value situates the artist on a price range for a given period. The experts may also be asked to establish a more precise estimate for a particular work.
100% secure transaction, Accepted Payment Methods: Credit Card, PayPal, Bank Transfer.
Secured direct purchase The transaction is guaranteed by ArtMajeur: the seller will get paid only once the customer has received the artwork.
100% secure payment with SSL certificate + 3D Secure.
Free Returns: 14-day return policy.
Returns Accepted 14 days ArtMajeur is 100% committed to the satisfaction of collectors: you have 14 days to return an original work. The work must be returned to the artist in perfect condition, in its original packaging. All eligible items can be returned (unless otherwise indicated).
Certificate of Authenticity included
This artwork appears in 2 collections
  • Original Artwork Painting, Oil on Canvas
  • Dimensions Height 53.2in, Width 31.5in
  • Categories Paintings under $5,000 Impressionism
Größe: 135 x 80 cm. Gerahmt. Sehr guten Zustand. Rechnung vom Dorotheum. Maria Szantho (Hungarian painter) 1897 - 1998. Maria Szantho was born on July 31, 1897 in the city of Szeged which is in the south part of Hungary. She was born with a caul. According to the Hungarian tradition anyone born with a caul will have a lucky life. Indeed, she had an [...]
Größe: 135 x 80 cm
Gerahmt
Sehr guten Zustand
Rechnung vom Dorotheum


Maria Szantho (Hungarian painter) 1897 - 1998

Maria Szantho was born on July 31, 1897 in the city of Szeged which is in the south part of Hungary. She was born with a caul. According to the Hungarian tradition anyone born with a caul will have a lucky life. Indeed, she had an extraordinary life, gifted in arts, and achieved fame and international appreciation and honour. Her paintings are well known at the best galleries and auction houses, and are valued parts of any collection.

Her full name with correct Hungarian spelling is “bácsai Szánthó Mária”. The forename “bácsai” should be written with lower case ‘b’ as this part of the name is a title of nobility.

She married three times. All three of her husbands passed away and she never had any children. Her third husband was Dr. Ferenc Klauschek, hence some sources mention her as Klauschek Ferencné (“né” is the equivalent of Mrs. in Hungarian). She signed all her paintings with her maiden name.

Szantho Maria’s first love was music, she was a talented piano player and finished her music studies as a teacher. She earned her Diploma at the Hungarian Music Academy on piano faculty. Her Diploma was signed by Zoltán Kodály the famous Hungarian composer.

Shortly after completing her music studies she had decided to pursue her interest in painting. Went on several study tours to France and Italy, I recall her talking about the Parisienne atmosphere . Her rich and detailed naturalist paintings were inspired by the hedonism of Károly Lotz and the joie de vivre of Gyula Benczúr. She studied with and from famous Hungarian painters such as Géza Kukán, Bertalan Karlovszky, Pál Fried and Mátyás Vitéz.

Maria Szantho exhibited from the mid 1920’s at major art galleries such as the Mucsarnok in Budapest. She had a collected exhibition in Budapest in 1936. Her work is timeless. She specialized in portraying women posing nude against a landscape, also still lives and portraits. Her models are hedonistically portrayed, she used elements of impressionism and romance. Since her first love was music, her portraits and nudes often permeated with musical themes and idyllic environments enhanced with rich draperies and musical colour accords. Banjo, violin or tambourine were some of the musical instruments she depicted. I recall when I was a child, I often played with these instruments she used to copy on her paintings.

In 1939 she represented Hungary with three paintings on the New York World’s Fair. The paintings sent to the New York World’s Fair have never been returned to her, or to Hungary because of the beginnings of WWII.

Around 1942 she created the historic master piece ‘Legend of the Mythical Stag’ (original title: ‘Rege a csodaszarvasról’). The painting created a lot of press echo and it earned her the prestigious Esterházy Prize. This wall size epic and erotic painting depicted an ancient Hungarian historical scene. Unfortunately it was destroyed in WWII. I recall seeing a photograph of the painting in the 1970s. At the time I was a child spending an afternoon at the painter’s home. I do not remember if the photo was in a book or else, and I have not come across since another photo of this short lived but historical painting. If anyone who has an illustration or photo of this painting are reading this, it would be interesting to hear from them.

In the early 1950's the Embassy of the Soviet Union contacted her and asked her to paint a huge portrait of Stalin. She objected saying that materials are scarce, she did not have access to a large canvas. The Soviets arranged to ship her a huge canvas from Moscow. Stalin passed away unexpectedly in 1953, so she did not have to paint the portrait. They have never asked her to give back the canvas which she put to better use.

Maria Szantho’s main foreign markets were Japan and the United States of America. She also had many private orders from abroad and Hungary. After WWII in the communist Hungary one was not allowed to sell privately to western countries, so she had to use the government owned foreign trading company “Artex” to export her paintings. Some of her then exported and her pre WWII paintings can be found periodically at Christie’s and other fine auction houses.

She is listed in The Bénézit Dictionary of Artists, although with incorrect date of birth and death. In 2008 I contacted an editor at Bénézit regarding the entry, it will be corrected in the next edition.

On her 100th birthday on July 31, 1997 a Minister of the Hungarian Republic greeted her on her birthday party at Nagymágocs, Hungary. On October 23, 1997 she received one of the highest official Hungarian recognitions. Árpád Göncz then President of the Republic of Hungary awarded her with the decoration of the Officer’s Grand Cross of the Hungarian Republic to honour her lifetime achievement.

Bácsai Szánthó Mária passed away at the age of 100 and half year on March 11, 1998 in Nagymágocs, Hungary at the Castle Karolyi (Károlyi Kastély). She is buried at the local cemetery together with her brother Dr. Kálmán Szánthó, my grandfather.

Related themes

FrauNacktWaldMaria SzanthoMaria

Follow

See more from Alex Apostol

View all artworks
Painting titled "Frauenakt im Walde" by Alex Apostol, Original Artwork, Oil
Oil on Canvas | 53.2x31.5 in
$2,891.68
Painting titled "nude-painting-2.jpg" by Alex Apostol, Original Artwork
Painting
On Request

ArtMajeur

Receive our newsletter for art lovers and collectors