Vilmos Huszár: Mechanical Dancing Figure

1922. Reconstruction: Andy Kowalski, Robert Pachowsky, 1985.

Vilmos Huszár (Budapest, 1884 – Hierden, 1960): one of the most loyal De Stijl artists Van Doesburg could have wished for. As a native Hungarian, Huszár took a fairly relaxed view of the strict separation between realism and abstraction that dominated Dutch art. He settled in The Hague in 1906, where he mixed in circles that regarded art as a means for artists to 'strive for ever greater things'. Artists were expected to defend this ambition both in person and on paper. In 1916 he saw Mondrian’s work for the first time, and immediately became a devotee of his 'new painting'. Even before he met Van Doesburg that same year he was consciously mixing painting, design and the surrounding environment. This brought him into contact with theatre (moving paintings) and with the world of advertising and graphic design. Although he had no further contact with Van Doesburg after 1924, he remained sympathetic to De Stijl, as was particularly apparent after 1950, when he did not hesitate to reproduce a number of historically important works.

Credits

Video: Gemeentemuseum Den Haag & DOYOUREADME?!