Philip de Laszlo: To Venice

"Johanna Laub, the Artist's Mother"
by Philip de Laszlo

"It was the celebrated painter Arpad Feszty, who first inspired young Philip de Laszlo to study in Venice, but the plan met with considerable opposition from his father, who was loath to lose his contributions to the household expenses, which by this time were considerable. His mother and sisters supported him, however, and finally it was arranged that he should go. His departure was delayed by an attack of fever, but his impatience overcame his discretion and his family allowed him to set out before he had fully recovered in the hope that the change and the sea air would do him good."

He wrote: "A sea voyage was a new and mysterious experience for me. The sea was calm and the sky clear and full of stars. I felt rather homesick. I tried to sleep, but without success. Early in the morning I hastened on deck. We were approaching the fortifications of Venice, and at last, out of the morning mists, appeared the silhouette of the city. It was even more beautiful than I had imagined. I forgot my sickness and all else as I gazed at this new world before which we had anchored.

That afternoon I took a gondola and went to see Professor Moritz Than, to whom I had been given a letter of introduction. I enjoyed the experience of arriving at his door by water. My gondolier pulled the bell, a window was opened and by means of a cord a little wooden box was lowered into which I put the letter. After a few minutes the door was opened and I was admitted.

The next morning Professor Than took me to the Accademia delle Belle Arte. There I was accepted as a pupil. We visited the galleries together. Titian's great mural painting of 'The Child Mary on the Steps of the Temple' made a great impression on me. We visited the collection of Tiepolo's drawings in the Doge's Palace. How I enjoyed the good taste of the composition and the sureness of the drawing! Titian, Bellini, Verrocchio, Michaelangelo - I saw all these great ones blessed by God. I dreamed of a splendid future. In my breast burned the desire to work, to strain every nerve.

But by the evening I felt so ill that good Professor Than put me to bed. He was immensely kind, but sadly my condition grew worse. Finally he came with the doctor and brought a nurse. My hopes of studying in Venice were wrecked. A week later a consultation was held, and I preferred to return home rather than go into hospital.

At Budapest I was met at the station by my mother, my sisters and a doctor, who put me straight to bed, and nursed me back to health. All the time I was ill I had but one idea, to get away again and continue my studies abroad, but my memories of Venice were so sad that I had no desire to return there and decided to go to Munich, to the famous Royal Academy of Bavaria."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Portrait of a Painter" by Owen Rutter.)