SIMONYI, ANTAL (1821–1892)

Portrait of Aurél Okrutszky, 1852

oil on canvas, 26x30 cm; marking on the back: Aurél Okrutszky 1848/9 Honvéd first lieutenant, sentenced to death by hanging by the military judge. His sentence was changed to 15 years of imprisonment in Jósefstadt after being granted mercy. Painted by his fellow inmate, Antal Simonyi 1852
Fine Arts Collection, Inv. No.: 53.11.1.

In the early years the collections of the museum were primarily increased through donations. Jusztinián Bajnok, captain of the 10^th Honvéd infantry regiment of Miskolc in particular was an outstanding donator, whose generous donations bolstered the natural history, archaeology, applied arts, military history, numismatic and fine arts collections alike.
The portrait of Aurél Okrutszky (1824–1902), which was also donated to the museum by Jusztinián Bajnok in 1905, not only has historical significance, but it also represents a specific genre of Hungarian portrait painting. These so-called prisoner portraits were a unique product of the authoritarian period. Several of the political prisoners held in Austrian jails were amateur painters and trained artists, who often painted their fellow inmates. The portrait made by Antal Simonyi is one of the best examples of this genre, with the written marking on the back adding further dramatic impact to the piece.
Simonyi was a student of the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in the early 1840s, after which he went on a study trip in Italy. He spent one year in jail after the defeat of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849. It is presumed that he made several portraits during this period, however only four of them are known as of today. The portrait of Honvéd officer István Dunyov can be found in the Museum of Arad and another portrait of an unnamed fellow prisoner is currently located in the Military History Museum in Budapest. The fourth portrait depicting Honvéd captain László Dombrády (1810–1876) became of a part of the Herman Ottó Museum’s collection through purchase in 1925. Since then, it has been on permanent display, along with the portrait of Aurél Okrutszky.
These two paintings of the collection immortalize the fates of three patriots. The painter and his fellow inmates survived a hopeless period together. After their release, Aurél Okrutszky became a notary in Szeged under the name Abafi and László Dombrády began working as an archivist in Eger. Antal Simonyi gave up painting soon after and began to pursue photography instead. He opened a studio in Pest and became one of the most popular photographers in the city.
Andrea Pirint