Czóbel Béla Virág Csendélet, Pasztell, Papír 39x29.5cm 

This is "Flower Still Life," made with pastel on paper by Béla Czóbel. Still life painting became a popular genre during the late 19th and early 20th century, when academic traditions were being challenged by avant-garde movements across Europe, Czóbel among them. He returned to Hungary after studying in Paris, at the height of its artistic innovation. Here, a vase of flowers is depicted with thick, expressive lines, using vivid colors that give it a strong emotional charge. This approach to form and color reflects the influence of Fauvism, a movement that emphasized painterly qualities and bold, unrealistic colors. Art historians look to the culture, politics, and institutions that shape artistic production. The art of Czóbel Béla and his contemporaries might be better understood by researching the ways the artistic scene of Paris shaped the careers of Hungarian artists in the early 20th century.