Sermon on the Mount 1918

Curator: The chromatic intensity of this composition truly vibrates, doesn't it? We're looking at János Kmetty's "Sermon on the Mount," completed in 1918, an oil painting rendering the biblical scene in a style reminiscent of Fauvism, with touches of Expressionism. Editor: My initial sense is… earthy yet celestial. The bright colors contrast strikingly with the somber subject matter, it almost feels… disorienting. Curator: Exactly! Notice how Kmetty eschews naturalistic color. The figures are rendered in these unexpected hues of pink and blue and earthy greens, pushing beyond simple representation. He is playing with emotional resonance through colour. Editor: It’s definitely arresting. This vivid palette pulls from fauvist traditions, certainly, but these color choices and stark lines, create such intense feeling! There’s a kind of…unease here, wouldn't you agree? Is the sermon providing solace, or sowing division? Curator: Perhaps Kmetty is capturing that inherent tension within faith itself. Look how he stylizes the figures - these simplified forms that evoke early Christian art combined with these more avant-garde expressive techniques. I would suggest it speaks to the collision of tradition and modernity, wouldn't you say? Editor: Precisely. The simplification, almost abstraction of the figures forces us to consider them as symbolic types rather than individuals. They’re stand-ins for belief, doubt, acceptance… and I think it gives the central figure of the preacher even more impact because of the relative clarity of detail and color surrounding it. Curator: The light certainly radiates, and it invites contemplation on spiritual leadership during uncertain times. This painting transcends mere illustration, don't you think? Editor: Yes. It is more a visceral meditation on belief and the power, perhaps the danger, of words. Definitely leaving me with more questions than answers, which… might be the point, I suppose? Curator: A fitting ambiguity, given the scene it portrays! A powerful and intriguing image indeed.