'a young ballet dancer'

Artist: Pal Fried (1893-1976) Hungarian.
‘A Young Ballet Dancer’
Oil on Canvas, Signed lower Left, Dimensions: 31.25” x 23.25” (79.3 x 59.1cm).

This work captures everything that artist Pal Fried represented. His free brush work, vivid use of colour and his trademark ‘Pink’ all encapsulated in the ‘Ballerina’ composition, which is truly a delight to behold. The young girl has been caught in a moment in time, tying her ribboned ballet pumps while glancing over her shoulder, totally engaging and a wonderful painting which would suite a contemporary or traditional space.
Condition: Excellent condition both painting and frame, and ready to hang.Pal Fried (1893-1976) was a Hungarian painter who was best known for his blend of portraiture particularly of the female eroticised nude. He also held an enduring interests in Orientalism and how this societal fusion was both reflected and presented through artistic endeavour. As can be seen in his work there is a reoccurring theme particularly of the ‘Ballerina’ which he approached frequently using both oil and watercolours, with a vibrant colour palette ofttimes using bright Pinks’ and Yellows, together with a distinct use of light to capture the atmospheric qualities of an otherwise ordinary scene.

Born in Budapest, he would receive his initial art training at the Académie Hongroise des arts, where he was a pupil of Hugo Pohl, who would become one of his many influences. It was during this period perhaps that his artistic leaning toward portraiture was established, as he would produce many such works while working under Pohl’s tutelage, particularly with the nude female form, and intriguingly the interest in ‘orientalist’ inspired subjects which had become popular during the nineteenth century. This art movement in many ways was an artistic stumble of awkwardness that the ‘west’ had in abundance when endeavouring to ‘capture’ eastern influences, as if the orient could in some way be created from the imaginations of a western studio. ‘This relationship of occident and orient is a relationship of power, of domination’ (Said, 1978), it is not then surprising that the west ventured to orientalise the orient in a manner considered commonplace by a typical nineteenth century European.
This western reflective idea of the orient nonetheless did produce fascinating works which embodied and exposed, if nothing else, a sovereign western consciousness arguably rooted in a manifestation of industrialized western superiority that viewed the ‘East’ through a hierarchal prism. Of course, many artists simply included elements of the ‘orient’ in their work for effect, for example, in a woman’s headdress or clothing or perhaps an ‘exoticized’ background, perhaps the colour palette used to express a particular sentiment, this latter trait, can conceivably be seen in Pal Fried’s work.Fried later moved to Paris, and continued his studies at the Académie Julian where he was a pupil of Claude Monet and Lucien Simone. During this phase he would be influenced by the French Impressionists, especially Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Edgar Degas. This influence can clearly be seen in the catalogue raisonné of Pal Fried which repeatedly approaches the ‘ballerina’ as a recuring theme, which of course Edgar Dagas became a principal exponent. World War II would have a significant effect on many artists and Fried, after the war, emigrated to the United States of America in 1946, where he taught at the New York Academy of Art. During this period, he also establish himself as a recognised portrait artist and with this came financial success, which no doubt assisted in his decision to become a U.S. citizen in 1953, living in both Los Angeles and New York City.He worked in oil and pastels and as is clear from his portraits spent much time experimenting with light, movement and colour. The vast majority of his output was that of nudes, dancers, and portraiture, but he also tackled sea/landscapes and the ‘American West’ together with the previously discussed Orient. As in the Hungarian manner he signed his work surname first, ‘Fried Pal’ which perhaps underscored the sentiment that ‘In spite of his appropriation, the settler still remains a foreigner’ (Fanon, 1961). As if to reinforce his dedication to the subject matter, he would make several versions of the same painting, ofttimes altering ridiculously small almost insignificant elements to the overall piece, maybe a facial expression, a minor adjustment to pose, or the use of light or colour. This can be seen very clearly in the similarities of his,’ ballerina’ works, which often used almost identical poses and colour to capture his desired interpretation. Pal Fried remained in the United States and died on the 6th of March 1976 in New York, NY.

Antiques.co.uk Ref: APME3C2U3

Maker/Artist:

Pal Fried (1893-1976) Hungarian.

Materials:

Oil on Canvas

Width (cm):

59.1

Height (cm):

79.3

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