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Rudolf Balogh, Shepherd with his Dogs, Hortobagy, c. 1930, Silver gelatin print, 180 x 290 mm, Hungarian Museum of Photography, Hungarian Museum of
Photography.

The Hungarian Photographers Who Changed the Face of Their Art

Royal Academy of Arts
Piccadilly
020 7300 8000
London
The Sackler Wing of Galleries
Eyewitness:
Hungarian Photography in the 20th Century
Brassa, Capa, Kertsz, Moholy-Nagy, Munkcsi
June 30-October 2, 2011
Eyewitness, an exhibition dedicated to the birth of modern
photography, features the work of Brassa, Robert Capa,
Andr Kertsz, Lszl Moholy-Nagy and Martin Munkcsi.
Each left their homeland Hungary to make their names in
Europe and the USA, profoundly influencing the course of
modern photography. Many other talented photographers
who remained in Hungary, such as Rudolf Balogh and
Kroly Escher, will also be represented in the exhibition.
Over 200 photographs from 1914 to 1989 will show how
these world renowned photographers were at the forefront
of stylistic developments and reveal their achievements in
the context of the rich photographic tradition of Hungary.
Brassa, Capa, Kertsz, Moholy-Nagy and Munkcsi are
each known for the important changes they brought about
in photojournalism, documentary, art and fashion
photography. By following their paths through Germany,
France and the USA, the exhibition will explore their
distinct approaches, signalling key aspects of modern
photography.
Andr Kertsz (1894-1985) showed an intuitive talent for
photography which blossomed when he moved to Paris in
1925. Using a hand-held camera, he captured lyrical
impressions of the ephemeral moments of everyday urban
life. Proud of being self-taught, Kertsz considered
himself an "eternal amateur" whose vision remained fresh;
his highly personal style paved the way for a subjective,
humanist approach to photography.
A painter and designer as well as photographer, Lszl
Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946) became an instructor at the
Bauhaus in 1922. He was a pioneer of photograms,
photomontage and visual theory, using unconventional
perspectives and bold tonal contrasts to manifest his
radical approach. His camera-less images and
experimental techniques reflect on the centrality of light to
the medium.
Martin Munkcsi (1896-1963) was a highly successful
photographer first in Budapest, then Berlin, covering
everything from Greta Garbo to the Day of Potsdam. He
moved to the US in 1934, securing a lucrative position
with Harpers Bazaar, revolutionising fashion photography
by liberating it from the studio. Taking photographs of

Karoly Escher, Bank Manager at the Baths, Budapest, 1938, Silver gelatin print, 392 x 290 mm, Hungarian
Museum of Photography, Hungarian Museum of Photography.

models and celebrities outdoors, he invested his

photographs with a dynamism and vitality that became his
hallmark.
The image of modern Paris was defined by Brassa (1899
-1984). Introduced to photography by Kertsz, who was
then at the heart of an energetic migr community of
artists, Brassa is known for his classic portraits of
Picasso. His stunning photographs of sights, streets and
people bring vividly to life the nocturnal characters and
potent atmosphere of the city at night.
Robert Capa (1913-1954) left Hungary aged 17, first for
Berlin where he took up photography, then on to Paris. He
is often called the "greatest war photographer"
documenting the Spanish Civil War, the D-Day landings
and other events of World War II. In 1947, he co-founded
Magnum Photos with Henri Cartier-Bresson and George
Rodger.
The exhibition will also celebrate the diversity of the
photographic milieu in Hungary, from the
early 20th century professional and club photography of
Rudolf Balogh, Kroly Escher and Jzsef Pcsi, to the
more recent documentary and art photography of Pter
Korniss and Gbor Kerekes. Key works by over forty
photographers will show how major changes in modern
photography have been interpreted through a particularly
Hungarian sensibility.
Varied subject matter will include "Magyar style rural
images; urbanite "New Objectivity" photography in
Budapest and Berlin; vivacious fashion photographs;
powerful photojournalism of war; and emotive social
documentary in post-war Hungary. Highlights include
images from Brassas Paris by Night series, and such
iconic photographs as Capas Death of a Loyalist
Militiaman, 1936; Munkcsis Four Boys at Lake
Tanganyika, c. 1930 and Kertszs Satiric Dancer, 1926.
The exhibition features works from the Hungarian National
Museum of Photography in Kecskemt together with the
National Museum, Budapest and public and private
collections in Hungary and the UK.

Zoltan Berekmeri, Winter's Evening in Bekescsaba, 1955, Silver gelatin print, 1987, 40 x 30 cm,
Hungarian Museum of Photography, Kecskemet, Hungarian Museum of Photography.

Eyewitness: Hungarian Photography in the 20th Century

Brassa, Capa, Kertsz, Moholy-Nagy, Munkcsi was
organised by the Royal Academy of Arts on the occasion
of the Hungarian Presidency of the EU 2011.
The exhibition is curated by Colin Ford, founding director
of the National Media Museum, with Pter Baki, Director
of the Hungarian National Museum of Photography
together with Sarah Lea, Royal Academy of Arts.

Angelo, Airport steps, Budapest, 1936, Gelatin silver print,

40 x 30 cm, Hungarian Museum of Photography,
Kecskemet, Hungarian Museum of Photography.

Erno Vadas, Procession, Budapest, 1934, Silver gelatin print, 395 x 300 mm, Hungarian Museum of
Photography, Hungarian Museum of Photography.

Laszlo Fejes, Wedding, Budapest, 1965, Silver gelatin print, 155 x 238 mm, Hungarian Museum of Photography, Hungarian Museum of Photography