(Buda 1863-1920 Budapest)
At the Piano, monogrammed (in ligature), dated KKA (1)910, oil on canvas, 96 x 73 cm, framed, (Rei)

The Hungarian painter Aladár Körösföi-Kriesch boasts a remarkably extensive oeuvre. After his academic training in Budapest, Munich and Venice and a two-year sojourn in Rome, he returned to Hungary in 1892. While working at the master school in Budapest, he created several monumental frescoes in churches and public buildings, for which he received his first awards.
Among other things, he created two works with hunting and fishing motifs for the new Hungarian parliament building, the construction of which began in 1885.
Körösföi-Kriesch intensively studied the Italian fresco technique of the Renaissance and produced his painting materials according to old recipes. From 1901 onwards, he lived in seclusion in Gödöllö near Budapest, where he also successfully devoted himself to the production of stained glass, tapestries and mosaic paintings. The Gödöllö artists' colony soon formed there from a small group, in which his sister Laura Kriesch was also active as an artist. In addition, his works included watercolours and lithographs, as well as mosaic jewellery and a bronze relief. Körösföi-Kriesch created several tapestries for the royal castle complex in Budapest, among others. He once again proved his versatility when he designed the furnishings for the Hungarian Ministry of Culture. In addition to the above, he was also active in the literary field, publishing a work on the Pre-Raphaelites in 1904 and writing numerous articles on painting techniques, materials and art issues of his time. Numerous international prizes and medals attest to his extraordinary success during his lifetime.