The album entitled Watercolors by János Szentágothai was published by Semmelweis Publishing House, which presents Dr. János Szentágothai (1912-1994), an internationally renowned neuroscientist, former Head of the Institute of Anatomy at the university, from a different perspective.
Dr. János Szentágothai was the Head of the Institute of Anatomy of the Budapest University of Medicine and then the later Semmelweis University of Medicine starting from 1963. The results of the neurohistological research he led made his name internationally known. Due to his original research insights, broad horizons, vast knowledge and sparkling personality, he became the center of international scientific life. In addition, Dr. János Szentágothai, although he did not consider himself a painter, “practiced painting as a way of life”, as his daughter described him.
“He painted all his life, at lightning speed, anywhere, in any part of the world, in any place in his life: on trips abroad, during excursions, in forests and out on fields, at friends’ homes, while in captivity, in a hospital ward after a heart attack, or at home, in his lovely garden”, as his daughter, Dr. Klára Szentágothai writes about him in the preface to the volume.
On the back of the works, she indicated the place and time of origin and the names of the people appearing in the paintings as in a diary.
Gallery
As it is expressed in the preface, Dr. János Szentágothai gave many of his paintings to people as a gift, he was always very generous whenever he was asked for a painting. What was left remained in the large desk drawer — the fifty pieces of work published in the volume are part of this. With this, the family also provides others with an opportunity to have a glimpse into this unique detail of János Szentágothai’s legacy.
The album covers almost four decades of work: the earliest paintings date back to 1945-46, such as the one entitled “Bad Saltschlirf, Prisoner of War, Lakatos Pali” (1945) or “View from the train, around Kisbér” (1946). But we may also find watercolors date from 1988 as “One of the bouquets we received for our golden wedding”. Out of the paintings, those works depicting city details, buildings, and portraits of his wife, Alice are especially outstanding.
In addition to the paintings, the volume also includes a special biography. In 1977, Dr. János Szentágothai wrote a personal memoir at the request of Ferenc Juhász, the editor of New Writing (Új Írás). In the monologue written in a rather informal tone, he looks through his ancestors, many of whom were among the most outstanding representatives of medical science. In addition to the history of his family, he also guides the reader through the development of his career and the historical background.
The text could not have been published at that time, but in 1993 it was published in the columns of one of the oldest scientific journals, The World of Nature (Természet Világa). The writing entitled As Ulysses Around the Brain was then expanded with an addition called “Sixteen Years Later”. In this, the author looks back at the first text and summarizes his experiences he had gained since writing the first part.
The volume entitled Watercolors by János Szentágothai was published by Semmelweis Publishing House.
Zsuzsa Borbély
Photo: Attila Kovács – Semmelweis University
Translation: Katalin Illés-Romhányi
