A voice heard on 13 October 1880 directed 27-year-old pharmacist Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka to become the greatest painter in the world. This moment redirected his life away from a steady career in the Kingdom of Hungary toward a decades-long pursuit of artistic creation across the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Early Life and Professional Shift
Born in 1853 in Kisszeben, Sáros County, he was the son of physician and pharmacist Dr. László Kosztka and Franciska Hajczelmajer of Darócz. While his paternal ancestors were of Polish origin, he matured speaking a mixture of Slovak and German. Before his mid-twenties, he worked as an apothecary. His artistic trajectory shifted following a profound auditory hallucination, which prompted him to fund extensive travels through the Vatican and across Europe by returning to pharmaceutical work to accumulate necessary capital.
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Beginning in 1890, he embarked on global journeys that informed his large-scale canvases. His itinerary included Paris, Dalmatia, Italy, Greece, and territories across the Middle East, including modern-day Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, and Syria. He identified his distinct approach as a sunway-painter. His major works were completed between 1903 and 1909. Among these, The Lonely Cedar stands as his most emblematic piece, while The Rendezvous, painted in 1902, set a record for his work when it fetched over one million EUR at a 2006 auction in Budapest.
Reception and Legacy
During his lifetime, his rejection of alcohol, tobacco, and meat, combined with his pacifism and prophetic writings, led contemporaries in the Kingdom of Hungary to label him an eccentric crank. Critics often attribute his stylistic choices and writings, such as The Positivum and The Genius, to an underlying mental disorder. Following his death in 1919 in Budapest, his works nearly faced destruction as industrial materials. Architect Gedeon Gerlóczy rescued 42 rolled canvases, preserving them for decades. Today, his pieces are held by institutions including the Hungarian National Gallery and the Csontváry Museum in Pécs.
Fast facts
- Born: 1853, Sabinov
- Died: 1919, Budapest
- Primary Occupations: Pharmacist, painter, journalist
- Movement: Expressionism
- Burial Place: Fiume Road Graveyard
- Famous Work: The Lonely Cedar
- Record Sale: The Rendezvous, 1 million EUR, 2006
Questions readers ask
Why was he considered a mad painter?
He experienced regular auditory hallucinations starting at age 27 and published unconventional pamphlets regarding his own genius and religious philosophy.
How were his paintings saved after his death?
Architect Gedeon Gerlóczy discovered 42 of his paintings in storage while looking for a studio space and purchased them before they could be repurposed as tarps.
Achievements
- Movement: Expressionism
