Theme & Variations

Fülszöveg

Probably no other pictorial album on Budapest has so richly, intimately and unaffectedly reflected the mood and spirit of the Hungarian capital as this one. János Reismann shows himself through his photographs to be a keen-eyed observer who unerringly captures the most characteristic of the thousand-and-one faces of this city and the fleeting moments from all the flurry of life most worthy of his camera.
The pictures consist of a loosely arranged series of light-hearted impressions which nevertheless form a whole. Through them, especially with the help of István Csurka's spirited commentary, the tourist or armchair traveller will derive a revealing and meaningful impression of the typical parts, characters and customs of the Hungarian capital: the bustling crowds in the central district, the quaint atmosphere of old Józsefváros and Óbuda streets with their courtyards; a real feeling for the beauty of the Danube's banks and Buda's hills, the bleak greyness of the factory... Tovább

Fülszöveg

Probably no other pictorial album on Budapest has so richly, intimately and unaffectedly reflected the mood and spirit of the Hungarian capital as this one. János Reismann shows himself through his photographs to be a keen-eyed observer who unerringly captures the most characteristic of the thousand-and-one faces of this city and the fleeting moments from all the flurry of life most worthy of his camera.
The pictures consist of a loosely arranged series of light-hearted impressions which nevertheless form a whole. Through them, especially with the help of István Csurka's spirited commentary, the tourist or armchair traveller will derive a revealing and meaningful impression of the typical parts, characters and customs of the Hungarian capital: the bustling crowds in the central district, the quaint atmosphere of old Józsefváros and Óbuda streets with their courtyards; a real feeling for the beauty of the Danube's banks and Buda's hills, the bleak greyness of the factory districts, the thrills of the racecourse, the dynamism of its youth, and of course the beauty and gaiety of Budapest's women. István Csurka, who writes the wry and witty text accompanying the pictures, is one of the most gifted of the younger generation of Hungarian writers. His concise literary sketches and commentaries attune the reader to the pictorial material. The name of János Reismann, who contributes the photographs, is well known to lovers of camera art even outside of Hungary. Starting as a photographer in the Bohemian atmosphere of Montparnasse in the late twenties, and later working in Germany, he spent over twenty years abroad. A pictorial record of his visit to the Soviet Union was published in Paris in the thirties. His photographic account of Italy, with Carlo Levi's text, was issued in Italy, Germany and the United States. Among his many volumes presenting characteristic Hungarian landscapes is his album on Lake Balaton which has appeared in several languages.
M n'y a encore guere eu d'albums sur Budapest pour refléter si intimement, de maniere si impressive, dépourvue de tout artifice, l'esprit, l'atmosphere, le caractere de la capitale hongroise. Reismann est un observateur perspicace qui, des mille faces de la ville, choisit infailliblement les plus caractéristiques, les moments qui valent la peine d'etre vécus au sein des tourbillons de la vie. Ces photos s'ordonnent en des séries floues, enjouées. Les prises de vue de Reismann permettent a l'étranger qui s'intéresse a la capitale hongroise d'approcher ses quartiers, ses figures, ses coutumes caractéristiques, la foule grouillante de la Cité, les impressions données par les rues, les cours des vieux arrondissements de Josephville et d'Öbuda, la beauté des quais du Danube et des montagnes de Buda, la morne grisaille des quartiers industriels, l'atmosphere tendue, enfiévrée des courses, le dynamisme de la jeunesse et l'éclat, la joie des femmes de Budapest. István Csurka, l'un des représentants de la jeune génération pleine de talent des écrivains hongrois, a composé le texte d'accompagnement de cet album, des morceaux de prose intéressants et spirituels, a l'humour acide. Les épisodes courts et concis, les impressions vécues, les réflexions de Csurka completent heureusement les photographies. Pour les amateurs d'art photographique, le nom de János Reismann est connu au-dela des frontieres de la Hongrie. Reismann a passé plus de vingt ans a l'étranger. C'est a Paris, dans l'atmosphere boheme de Montparnasse, qu'il a commencé a travailler comme photographe dans la seconde moitié des années 1920. Puis, il a travaillé en Allemagne. C'est de nouveau a Paris, dans les années 1930, qu'il a publié un album de photos réunissant les fruits de son séjour en Union Soviétique. Accompagné du texte de Carlo Lévi, son album sur l'Italie a été édité dans trois pays: l'Italie, l'Allemagne et les États-Unis. Au rang de ses ouvrages présentant les diverses régions hongroises, son album intitulé Balaton a été publié également en plusieurs langues. Vissza