- 623
Tihamér Margitay
Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 USD
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Description
- Tihamér Margitay
- A Surprise for Papa
- signed Margitay and dated Bpest 1889. (lower right)
- oil on canvas
- 39 3/4 by 61 in.; 101 by 155 cm.
Provenance
Rozsa Family, Budapest
Imre Rozsa, Vienna, New York and Geneva (by descent from the above)
Leopoldine Rozsa, Geneva (by descent from the above)
Imre Rozsa, Vienna, New York and Geneva (by descent from the above)
Leopoldine Rozsa, Geneva (by descent from the above)
Condition
Oil on canvas, not lined. Surface in generally good condition. Stretcher bar marks faintly visible, especially along the top edge. Fine craquelure over the entire surface. A few brush hairs remain on surface. Very minor spot of pigment separation on rug under the man at left's chair. Slightly dirty varnish. In generally excellent condition. Under UV light, two minor spots of retouching in the center. Uneven varnish. One spot of house paint at upper left edge.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
In A Surprise For Papa, Tihamér Margitay focuses his exceptional skills as a keen observer of social mores and the world of comfort man aspires to as he depicts an unfolding domestic drama set against the backdrop of privileged life in Budapest in 1889. Bathed in the warming glow of the sun through a nearby window, the man of the house reclines in a velvet armchair adorned with silk tassels and bronze, wheeled feet as he prominently displays the newspaper he is reading. We are certainly meant to notice that this is not just any newspaper, but EGYETERTES, the newspaper of the Independence Party, the most nationalistic of the liberal Hungarian political parties of that time. As the sun glistens off the wedding band on his left ring finger, Papa appears pleased, enjoying the pleasures of his position as head of the household.
To his right, however, a different side to the situation is revealed. His wife, fully aware of impending conflict beholds the entrance of an imposing presence unmistakable as the family’s matriarch; and judging from the amused expression of the house maid, most probably the true ruler of the roost.
We are left to wonder whose mother is this, but have few doubts to the outcome. Will the independence of the husband alluded to by his newspaper or his social mobility suggested by the wheels on his chair be compromised? Has he taken for granted the source of his comfort and all that the marvelous surroundings suggest? Contemporary observers would have certainly made connections to present day politics where conservative and liberal elements both within Hungary and throughout the greater Austro-Hungarian Empire vied for advantage in a rapidly changing world; but of greater interest would have been the specific scene set before us where social position, power and wealth exert their timeless demands on the human condition.
To his right, however, a different side to the situation is revealed. His wife, fully aware of impending conflict beholds the entrance of an imposing presence unmistakable as the family’s matriarch; and judging from the amused expression of the house maid, most probably the true ruler of the roost.
We are left to wonder whose mother is this, but have few doubts to the outcome. Will the independence of the husband alluded to by his newspaper or his social mobility suggested by the wheels on his chair be compromised? Has he taken for granted the source of his comfort and all that the marvelous surroundings suggest? Contemporary observers would have certainly made connections to present day politics where conservative and liberal elements both within Hungary and throughout the greater Austro-Hungarian Empire vied for advantage in a rapidly changing world; but of greater interest would have been the specific scene set before us where social position, power and wealth exert their timeless demands on the human condition.