Béla Balogh

About the Painting

This still life oil painting by Hungarian artist Béla Balogh (1910-1980), created circa 1950, demonstrates mid-20th-century European realism. The artwork features a tabletop scene with fruit, flowers, and ornate vessels arranged on a white satin cloth, showcasing the artist's technical skill and reverence for traditional still life painting.

At the center of the composition, a silver bowl holds grapes, peaches, apples, and other fruit—each rendered with precise, lifelike texture and luminous color. Beside it, golden goblets and an elaborate ewer, likely crafted from porcelain and gilt metal, evoke the splendor of aristocratic interiors. A bouquet of lilacs and peonies anchors the left side of the canvas, contrasting against cascading blue velvet drapery and a cream silk backdrop.

The interplay of textures—from fabric to polished metal to organic fruit and flowers—demonstrates Balogh's technical ability and his connection to traditional still life artistry. The composition echoes the influence of Dutch Golden Age and French 17th-century masters, creating a work that is both timeless and richly detailed. Signed in the lower right, this painting exemplifies Balogh's romantic academic style.

About the Artist

Béla Balogh (1910-1980) was a Hungarian painter known for his elegant still lifes and floral studies. Educated at Hungarian academies during the interwar period, he mastered traditional techniques rooted in Baroque and Academic Realism. His work was particularly influenced by the Dutch Golden Age tradition of still life painting, which emphasized rich textures, harmonious compositions, and careful attention to light and surface.

Balogh specialized in compositions that radiated elegance and refinement, focusing on the careful arrangement of objects and the interplay of different materials and textures. Active throughout World War II and the postwar period, he gained recognition among collectors in Hungary, Austria, and Germany for his devotion to classical beauty and traditional compositional principles.

He remained largely outside avant-garde movements of the mid-20th century, choosing instead to uphold a timeless aesthetic that looked back to the great still life traditions of European painting. This commitment to classical techniques and subjects made his work appealing to collectors who valued traditional European art and craftsmanship.

Though rarely exhibited in museums, his works were cherished in private collections and remain appreciated by admirers of traditional European still life painting. His paintings represent a continuation of the academic still life tradition into the mid-20th century, maintaining the technical standards and compositional principles of earlier masters.

Technical Details

Artist: Béla Balogh (1910-1980)
Signed: Lower right corner
Date: c.1950
Medium: Oil on canvas
Condition: Excellent condition
Dimensions: 79 x 61 cm / 31 x 24 in
Frame: 99.5 x 79 cm / 39 x 31½ in, sculpted distressed wood finish, off-white and gold, good condition
Provenance: Private collection, Canada

A refined example of mid-20th-century Hungarian still life painting in the Baroque tradition.