Mihály Munkácsy

Private Collection, Germany
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Lajos Vegvari, Katalog der Gemälde und Zeichnungen Mihaly Munkacsys, Budapest, 1959, no. 493, pp. 96 & CLXV, illustrated (as Park mit zwei Frauen)

The canvas has been relined. There is a faint pattern of hairline craquelure and some small lines of paint shrinkage relating to the drying of the artist's pigments (visible in the catalogue illustration), notably in the upper centre. Ultra-violet light reveals a number of strokes of retouching, some just visible to the naked eye, notably near the left and right framing edges, two lines to the right of the bench apparently addressing old abrasions, and scattered spots in the background. An area corresponding to the face of the woman seated to the right also fluoresces under U.V. light, however it is likely that this corresponds to reworking of the composition by the artist himself. The overall appearance of the work is good. Presented in a simple cream-painted frame.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Painted circa 1880.

An Afternoon in the Park was painted at the height of Munkácsy's success as a painter of the beau monde in Paris, where he had settled in 1871. It depicts two elegant young women, in the latest Paris fashions, resting in a woodland setting after promenading in what could well be the Bois de Boulogne, a favoured retreat among the urban leisured classes at the time.

The picture exemplifies Munkácsy's work from this period, which in terms of its elegant subject is in marked contrast to his earlier history paintings and scenes from peasant life. This change in direction was in direct response to the tastes of his new well-to-do Parisian patrons, and became even more marked after Munkácsy entered into a ten-year contract with the upmarket Galerie Sedelmeyer in 1878.  

While clearly swayed by market forces, making him a wealthy man, Munkácsy always remained true to the plein air aesthetic he loved and which he had adopted in the early 1870s while working in Barbizon. An Afternoon in the Park is a case in point, the majestic light-dappled backdrop akin to the forest interiors of Gustave Courbet or László Paál.