Czóbel Béla Lány Karosszékben, 1952 Olaj , Vászon, 90x56cm 

Béla Czóbel painted "Girl in an Armchair" with oil on canvas in 1952. Here we see the artist deploying an expressionist style with rapid brushstrokes and bold colours. Czóbel was one of a number of Hungarian artists who travelled to Paris in the early 20th century and became associated with the Fauvist movement. We might ask how a progressive art movement that challenged academic conventions in pre-war France was transformed when it was taken up by artists in the Soviet Bloc. This was painted in Hungary after the Second World War when it was under Soviet influence. The prevailing style promoted by the state was Socialist Realism, but there were artists who found ways to adopt a more experimental approach while remaining within the margins of what was acceptable. By looking at exhibition reviews from the period, and at the history of the Hungarian art institutions, we might be able to better understand how artists negotiated the politics of imagery under state control.