50 - Béla Vörös (1899–1983)

Béla Vörös (1899–1983) Seated Female Nude White marble sculpture, carved directly from the block Signed and dated “B. VOROS / 1925” H. 55 cm Slight chipping on the toes of the right foot and the left hand; minor soiling Related literature: Antoine Glück, Esq., Etienne Mercier, Esq., Bela Vörös, Sculptor, Studio Sale, Auction, Paris, Drouot Rive Gauche, June 25, 1979, Tibor Wehner, “Exhibition of Sculptor Béla Vörös,” exhibition catalog, Győr, Xántus János Museum, May 12–June 4, 1978, Győr, Xántus János Múzeum, 1978 Dated 1925, this marble sculpture depicting a female nude with full, simplified forms attests to the growing influence of Cubism on Béla Vörös’s work from the moment he arrived in Paris. Originally from Esztergom, Hungary, the artist trained with a cabinetmaker before meeting László Hüvos (1883–1972), a sculptor strongly influenced by Auguste Rodin. In 1916, he enrolled at the School of Decorative Arts and then, in 1919, joined the Budapest Academy of Fine Arts at the encouragement of the avant-garde sculptor Márk Vedres (1870–1961). In 1925, after winning a travel grant, Vörös moved to Paris, where he became part of the circle of Hungarian émigré artists. He befriended Jacques Lipchitz, among others, and worked as an assistant in Joseph Csaky’s studio. He participated in several Parisian salons, including the Salon des Tuileries, the Salon d’Automne, and the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs, as well as in exhibitions organized by the U.M.E. (Nouvelle Union des Artistes) group in Budapest. Between 1932 and 1938, he lived in Nice, where he devoted himself to ivory sculpture, which led to a collaboration with Paul Poiret, before settling in Sèvres. Although the sculptor experimented with abstraction, assemblages, and decorative art, his work remains rooted in both figurative art and the Cubist movement. In 1975, he donated several of his works to the Esztergom Museum. Expert: LACROIX JEANNEST Firm