Path on the field

János Mattis Teutsch left his hometown Brashov, at the foot of the Southern-Carpatians in 1901 and returned in 1907. The six years spent in abroad was the period of the preparation to the artistic career. He studied sculpture at the Academy of Applied Arts of Budapest for one and half a year, then he continued his studies in Munich. Afterwards he went to Paris, where he lived on picture-framing in order to make his studies financially possible.

At the beginning of his career he did not paint. He used pencil, but only to make sketches for his statues. The first inspiration to paint must have been originated from the lands of his hometown. According to Zoltán Banner, Mattis Teutsch created realistic portraits and religious compositions at that time, but he exhibited as a sculptor first.

From the 1910's on, he painted more and more with watercolour and oil. The next exhibition in 1914 was the first where he showed his paintings as well. This period brought a radical change into his life. The realism started to gradually disappear, he began to paint in a more and more abstracted way. Although the motifs were still recognisable, the colours got more and more similar to the world of his later paintings. The signature MT was born then as well.

This watercolour painting must have been made in 1915, as the inscription on the reverse proves it. This is a great help for the research, as on the basis of this picture, we can determine the date of all the other works signed by this type of pen. The sort of paper he used is another proof of the fact, that this watercolour painting is an early Mattis Teutsch work of art.

The white tree here is a typical motif, and in this picture, the reality of the sight is somewhere still remained. The autumn-coloured trees by the road show the realistic way of painting, but the forest quitting the horizon and the road signals the abstracted and decorative later style of the artist. We can recognise the Fauves' influence in these later motifs.

This watercolour painting is an exciting early expressionist work of art by János Mattis Teutsch.


Valéria Majoros, art historian - a summary