1925 Original Drawing of Library Scene with Readers (Possibly the New York Public Library) by Henrik Major, Hungarian-American caricaturist and artist
- Signed
- Softcover
- Used




Seller: Ian Brabner, Rare Americana (ABAA), Wilmington, DE, U.S.A.Ian Brabner, Rare Americana (ABAA)
AbeBooks seller since October 27, 1997
Condition: Used
£ 347.24
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
[America? 1925]. Pencil and color wash on paper. Signed and dated lower right in pencil: "Major 1925". Sight: 8½ x 11¾ inches. Frame: 14½ x 17½ inches, glazed. Condition is very good. Executed in 1925, this engaging bookish scene by Hungarian-American caricaturist Henrik Major (1895–1948) captures a moment of quiet study in what may be a reading room of the New York Public Library. Rendered in pencil and subtle color wash, the drawing depicts figures absorbed in books beneath green-shaded lamps, a motif reminiscent of the NYPL’s famed Rose Main Reading Room. "Major excelled with his drawings as early as his childhood and published the first caricature at the age of 19 in the satirical magazine Fidibusz. His sketches of only a couple of lines marked a completely new trend for the Hungarian artists of the genre. Due to his sense of humor, straightforwardness, and no text or just a pair of lines added to his drawings, became the most popular young artist in the Hungarian press. He signed his works as ‘Major’ or ‘Sicu’ and was employed by all the satirical magazines and many prestigious newspapers [.His drawings, always of high artistic level, became part of the urban mass culture. Major set several records: he obtained fame as the artist to portray most monarchs, statesmen, public figures and celebrities, and his speed was also legendary, as it did not take him more than 4 minutes to draw a picture." (Open Days, Memorial Days, Night of Museums 2015 accessed online) Born Henrik Marktbreiter in Salonta, Major trained under Károly Ferenczy in Budapest and gained early recognition through satirical work published in Fidibusz, Jankó Borsszem, and Színházi Élet. His caricature books Komédiások and The Panopticon of Henrik Major (1913) were issued by Tevan Library in Békéscsaba, and he exhibited at the Ernst Museum in 1915. After the fall of the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919, Major emigrated to Paris and subsequently worked in the Netherlands (Telegraph), London (The Graphic), and Amsterdam. Major is believed to have immigrated to the United States in 1926, later contributing to Vanity Fair and caricaturing figures such as Calvin Coolidge and Charlie Chaplin. This 1925 drawing likely reflects an earlier visit to New York or suggests he arrived prior to his official relocation. He eventually settled in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he died in 1948.…
Seller Inventory # 3735108
Bibliographic details
- Title
- 1925 Original Drawing of Library Scene with Readers (Possibly the New York Public Library) by Henrik Major, Hungarian-American caricaturist and artist
- Author
- Henrik Major
- Signed
- Signed by Author(s)
- Binding
- Soft cover
- Seller catalogs
- American Libraries, Art & Graphics
Ian Brabner, Rare Americana (ABAA)
Wilmington, DE, U.S.A.
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Founded in 1995, Ian Brabner, Rare Americana specializes in rare books and manuscripts charting the course of American history. We emphasize 18th- and 19th-century subjects, especially African American history, Women's History, Colonial American History, and 18th and 19th Century Americana. Our inventory includes rare books, pamphlets, letters, diaries, manuscripts, archives, original art, graphics, and photographs. We actively build important collections for private and institutional clients in the United States and abroad. Visit RareAmericana.com…
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African American History, Women's History, Colonial American History, 18th and 19th Century AmericanaAssociation member
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