Francis de Erdely

Francis de Erdely (né Ferenc Erdélyi; 1904–1959) was a Hungarian-American artist who was renowned in Europe and the United States for his powerful figure paintings and drawings as well as for his teaching abilities.

Biography Francis De Erdely was born Ferenc Erdélyi on the 3 May 1904 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary (present-day, Hungary). De Erdely first studied at the Hungarian Royal Drawing School, (1919–1924), as well as the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando) in Madrid and the prestigious Sorbonne in Paris.

De Erdely's technical abilities, brushwork, and composition were based in European classicism. Politics began to inform his work when Fascism began to gain ground in Europe. As De Erdely's career developed, he became less focused on history painting and the themes of classical Antiquity. Subjects surrounding war, suffering, and human strength became present.

De Erdely immigrated to the United States in 1939. Living in New York and Chicago initially, he was hired to paint portrait of wealthy patrons. He also painted images of the American Scene. It was after his move to Los Angeles, when his mature work developed and he established himself as an American artist. Huntington Library, San Marino, United States

Exhibitions 1925: Budapest, Hungary 1939: Hungarian Relief Library, New York, New York, United States 1940–1944: Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan, United States 1940: De Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, California, United States 1940: Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, California, United States 1941: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States 1942: Vancouver Museum of Fine Art 1942–1945: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States 1942–1943: The Scarab Club, Detroit, Michigan, United States 1943: Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., United States 1943–1944: De Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, California, United States 1945–1946: Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado, United States 1945–1946: San Francisco Fine Arts Association, California, United States 1946: Pasadena School of Arts, Pasadena, California, United States 1950: Laguna Beach Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, California, United States 1950: Crocker, Sacramento, California, United States 1950: Haggin Museum, Stockton, California, United States 1950: Oakland Art Museum, Oakland, California, United States 1959–1960: Pasadena Art Museum, Pasadena, California, United States 1960: Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, United States 1960: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, United States 2022: Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, California, United States

Awards 1925 – Szinyei-Merse Grand Prize, Budapest, Hungary 1929 – Triennial Bronze Medal, Ghent, Belgium 1940–1944 – Detroit Art Institute (prizes) 1942 – Scarab Club, Detroit, Michigan (medal) 1943 – Scarab Club, Detroit, Michigan (medal) 1946 – Scarab Club, Detroit, Michigan (prize) 1946 – Pasadena School of Arts (prize) 1947–1951 – Oakland Art Gallery (prizes) 1949 – Arizona State Fair (award) 1954 – Audubon Association (medal)