TELEPY, KÁROLY (1828–1906)

Highland Scene

oil on wooden board, 17x21 cm; marking at the bottom right: Telepy K.
Fine Arts Collection, Inv. No.: 93.29.

It is not known for certain if Károly Telepy did visit the Castle of Diósgyőr when he made his imposing painting of Diósgyőr Castle in 1860 (property of the Hungarian National Gallery), however it is known that he had made sketches of it previously. The much smaller Highland Scene presented here is not supposed to evoke the historical sentiment of a bygone era; instead, the artist was fascinated by the intimacy conveyed by the simplicity of the scene. Several signs suggest that this painting was made outdoors, in the open air. The straightforward brushstrokes, the perspective and the harmony of colours all support this hypothesis. Fortunately this inspired moment did not cause the artist to forget about the principles of elaborate structuring, which imbues this small, cigar box-sized painting with monumental power and elevates its status as a proper work of art.
Historical memory of the Borsod region considers the Telepi family, particularly György Telepi (1800–1885) and his son, Károly Telepy as their own. Their contributions as cultural creators can often be found in literature, theatre history and even through their relations with the Egressy family. György Telepi created the first painted depiction of the city of Miskolc. The composition depicting the sombre memory of the great flood of 1878 was added to collection in 1946 through an art trade between museums. The Fine Arts Collection houses several artworks from Károly Telepy and even some of his relics since 2010. The landscape present here was acquired by the museum through purchase from a local individual in 1993.
Based on the description of Gertrud Goda
(In: A Herman Ottó Múzeum Képtára. Edited by: Andrea Pirint. Miskolc, 2004. 45. Cat. No.: 37.)