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August Xaver Karl von Pettenkofen - The Market at Szolnok, Hungary - Walters 3753
Summary
Szolnok, located on the Theiss River in central Hungary, was an important market center of 11,000 inhabitants in the mid 19th century. Pettenkofen first visited it in 1851, and returned repeatedly over the next 30 years.
In this work the sunlight has broken through the cloudy sky to illuminate a colorful marketplace surrounded by low houses with white walls and thatched roofs. On the right, near a wayside cross enclosed by a picket fence, peasants mill about the vegetable stands and wagons. Several piles of large green melons are visible. Livestock forage freely in the dusty terrain. Close to the foreground is a bedraggled gypsy nursing an infant followed by another child.
August von Pettenkofen (1822-1889) was an Austrian painter. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and later travelled to Italy and France to study the works of the Old Masters. On his return to Austria, Pettenkofen became a member of the Vienna Künstlerhaus and began to exhibit his paintings, which often depicted peasants, gypsies and other rural figures in naturalistic settings. He was also known for his portraits and landscapes, which were characterised by their attention to detail and use of light and shadow. Pettenkofen's work was well received during his lifetime and he received numerous awards and honours for his contribution to Austrian art. Today his paintings can be found in museums and private collections throughout Europe and the United States.
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