^{'We are beginning to understand the profound singularity of this artist who settled in Paris at the age of 30 and adopted French nationality. In his paintings and even more in his transparent watercolors, he constantly oscillates between figuration and abstraction. He plunges the forms into a poetic halo under which the order of the composition always shines through.' - Gerald Schurr}

Early Life

Géza Szóbel was French/Hungarian painter born in 1905 in Komárom. His first exhibition was held in the Cultural Palace of Komárom at his age of 23. Later on, he was admitted to the Fine Arts Academy of Pargue, and then he moved to Paris, where he became the student of Fernand Léger. The modern French painting movements influenced his works significantly. After his quick visit in Berlin, he got touched by the German Expressionism, therefore he decided to return to the other capital of avantgarde: Prague. His second exhibition was in Bratislava in 1934. Finally, he settled down in Paris with his wife, where he became friends with such avantgarde artists like Chagall, Le Corbusier, Aragon, Lucien Hervé and the Delaunay couple.

About his Art

In this inspiring and vibrant atmosphere, Szóbel’s painting became more conscious and reformed. His art is taking place on the borders of fauvism, expressionism, surrealism and cubism, but it doesn’t really belong to any of these movements. He joined the army and participated in the war. After returning, he exhibited a series called Civilisation, which represented the cruelty of mankind. His works were exhibitied in London alongside with the series of Francisco Goya: The disasters of war. After the war, he turned towards geometrically edited, mostly figurative imagery. Rhythm was the most important element of his later works. The intertwined elements gives an illusion of movement on his last mural-like paintings. Géza Szóbel’s paintings merged together with the modern French art and he became a significant representative of the scene.

Géza Szóbel's artworks are available at the kálmán Makláry Fine Arts.

Solo Exhibitions:

2012 Kálmán Makláry Fine Arts, Budapest

1961, 1963 • Galerie Blumenthal, Paris (kat.).

1952 Galerie de France, Paris

1951 Galerie de Beaune, Paris

1948, 1950 Gallery Gimpel Fils, London

1947 Galerie de France, Paris • Gallery Gimpel Fils, London

1946 M. Boymans, Rotterdam

1945 Galerie Vendőme, Paris • Gallery Gimpel Fils, London • Victor Waddington Gallery, Dublin

1944 Gallery Waddington, Dublin

1943 Redfern Gallery, London • Art Gallery, Belfast • The Fine Art Society, London • National Gallery of Scotland,

Edinburgh • The Art Gallery, Aberdeen • Corporation Art Gallery - Albert Institute, Dundee

1942 Civilisation, l'Institut Tchécoslovaque, London • Whitechapel Art Gallery, London

1937 Galerie du Journal des Beaux-Arts, Paris

1934 Národné M., Prímási palota, Bratislava

1928 Kultúrpalota, Komárom (CSZ)

Group Exhibitions: 

1963  Salon de l'Art Sacré, Paris.

1959, 1960, 1961  Galerie Prestige des Arts, Paris 

1950  Salon de l'Art Sacré, Paris

1947  French Exhibition, Gallery Victor Waddington, Dublin

1945 - 1962 Salon de Mai, Paris

1945  Czech artists living in France, Galerie de Beaux-Art, Paris

1934 - 1939 Salon des Surindépendants, Paris

• Musée national d'art moderne, Paris.
• Musée de Grenoble
• Fonds national d'art contemporain, Paris.
• Musée d'art moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg.
• Musée d'art de Pully (Suisse)
• Slovak National Gallery