Korunk hőse 1963

"Korunk hőse" which translates to "Hero of Our Time" appears to be an oil on canvas painting by the Hungarian artist Sandor Bortnyik. The painting contrasts the old with the new through the use of color, form, and material representation. On the left, a darkened sculpture looms, its classical form made weighty, and in contrast on the right, a glistening athletic figure is erected, posed with an exercise ball, which has been celebrated and valorized by the gold-like texture of the paint. The use of oil paint can emphasize the figure’s strength, while also speaking to the social context of labor, politics, and consumption, with an emphasis on the body. Bortnyik challenges traditional notions of heroism, and therefore of the distinctions between fine art and craft, by placing a strong working class male at center stage, whose muscular body has been built through labor. Ultimately, understanding the materials, making, and context is crucial to understanding the work's full meaning.