In Memoriam Bartók 1973

Endre Balint’s 'In Memoriam Bartók' is a painting that feels like a quiet conversation, a meditation on memory and form. I imagine Balint layering these shapes and colors, almost like musical notes, trying to capture the essence of Bartók's music in visual form. There’s a real sense of searching, with some shapes more defined than others, as if they’re emerging from the canvas. The way he’s balanced these abstract forms, I feel like I'm looking at a landscape or an imaginary place that holds a secret code. The colors themselves are muted and restrained—a limited palette of blacks, greens, and browns gives the painting a somber yet strangely harmonious tone. It reminds me a bit of some of the early modernists, who were also trying to find new ways to express inner states and musical ideas through abstract forms. Ultimately, it’s about the ongoing dialogue between artists across different mediums and eras. Balint is in conversation with Bartók, and we, as viewers, are invited to join in this exchange.