The composition Siesta by János Vaszary led the auction of the Kieselbach Gallery, confirming the strong market interest in the great 20th-century Hungarian painting.
The result of Siesta at the December auction
At the Christmas sale of the Kieselbach Gallery, the 1907 composition Siesta by János Vaszary reached 160 million forints, equivalent to about 417,000 euros. The work, considered a masterpiece of the artist’s early maturity, was one of the most contested lots of the evening and found a new owner at the end of a lively bidding war.
The auction, organized in Budapest on December 14, brought together not only private collectors but also important public institutions. Additionally, the catalog featured a targeted selection of museum masterpieces, historical-artistic rarities, classic modernist works, and contemporary pieces of particular interest to international collectors.
Which works the Museum of Fine Arts acquired
During the sale, the Museum of Fine Arts exercised its right of pre-emption twice, securing significant pieces for the Hungarian public collections. In particular, the institution focused on an important cubist painting and a key work of female arcadian painting.
The protected work by Imre Szobotka, titled Still Life cubist and dated 1912–1913, was awarded after a tight contest among participants for 65 million forints, corresponding to about 169,000 euros. The museum’s representative declared from the outset the institution’s intention to acquire the painting, thus ensuring the entry of this rare example of Hungarian cubism into the national collections.
In the same context, it was noted that the early masterpiece by Erzsébet Korb, a leading figure in Hungarian arcadian painting, the painting Alteregó from 1920, has recently become part of the public collection.
In this way, the museum consolidates a line of acquisitions that particularly values the production of female artists between the two wars.
What records modernist works set at the auction
Among the most anticipated lots was the painting by Béla Czóbel titled Small German Town, created during the artist’s Berlin period around 1922–1923.
The work, long considered lost and known until now only through black and white photographs, was awarded for 85 million forints, equivalent to about 221,000 euros, confirming the strong demand for modernist rarities that have resurfaced on the market.
Another notable result came from Béla Kontuly, a representative of the so-called Roman school between the two wars. One of his most decorative compositions, Still Life with Oranges from 1933, reached 82 million forints (about 214,000 euros), placing it among the highest awards of the evening for an artist associated with this field.
That said, the new price record for the work of György Román was set by the iconic painting Boys on Motorcycles, created around 1946. The painting was sold for 42 million forints, or about 109,000 euros, marking a turning point in the market valuation of the artist.
Who was János Vaszary and why the record for Siesta
János Vaszary was a Hungarian painter and graphic artist active between the late 19th and the first half of the 20th century. Straddling the 19th and 20th centuries, the artist closely followed the main European currents, integrating them into a personal exploration that also extended to graphics and tapestry works.
His works mainly manifest the influence of French post-impressionism, art nouveau, and the plein air painting of the Nagybánya colony. Moreover, this ability to synthesize different trends into a coherent language contributes today to the strong appeal of his compositions among collectors and museums, as evidenced by the recent sale of Siesta in the context of the Christmas auction.
Overall, the results of the evening confirm the central role of Hungarian modernism in the regional market, with sustained demand from both private individuals and institutions.
Compared to other recent rounds, the December sale particularly highlighted the competition for rare, documented works that have long been unlocated, which, when they resurface, tend to establish new price thresholds.
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
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