The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-24
MICHAEL MUNKACSY.
Famous Hungarian Painter Re-
ported to Be Dying.

BERLIN, March 23.-Michael Mum
kacsy, the famous Hungarian painter,
who has been secluded in a hospital for
the insane at Bonn for more than two
years is dying.
Michael Mukacsy was born near
Munkacs, Hungary, October 10, 1914.
He had been virtually dead to the
world since the paralytic shock which
in the latter part of 1896 compelled
him to abandon all hope of ever work
ing at his easel again. AT that time
he was at GodeSburg. For months he
sat breeding, until in an excess Of mad
ness, he suddenly attacked and nearly
strangled his attendant and his ply
sician- He was Immediately removed
to an insane asylum, from which, on
its becoming obvious that his mental
condition was hopeless, he was re-
moved to the retreat where he is now
passing away, in the prime of life
His parents We're poor, and before
he was Z years old he was left an or
phan and given over to the charge Of
an uncle at Osaba, who seems to. have
treated him very harshly. 1t hap
pened that in the same village his sis
ter was quartered with an aunt, and
the small boy lived between the two
houses. The youngster was afterward
apprenticed to a tradesman.
In his autobiography, THE Early
Recollections of Munkacsy,'' which ap-
peared in the latter part of 1897, after
he had lost his reason, he tells with the
most charming simplicity of those days
of apprenticeship, of heating glue and
grinding cheap paint. At IA he was
qualified workman, and was sent by
his uncle into the world with five flor
ms in his pocket. For two years he
lived in the town of Arad Then, his
health weakened by wretchedness and
lack of food, he was compelled to re-
turn to his uncle's house. Here the
sight of engravings set him copying
them, and the taste returned to him
like passion. One day his uncle,
CHANGING to look over his shoulder at
drawing, said: You might possibly
become a painter"
Shortly after this he entered the stu
dio of a German named Fischer, when
he met Szamossy, a painter of some
talent, who gave him an invitation to
enter his studio. He accepted, but
having no other means to pay for his
instruction, insisted on being a kind
of domestic servant and man of all
work in Szamossy's house. In his
Recollections' he says proudly: Il
was a good one
After eighteen months he felt strong
enough to strike out for himself. and
on very limited purchase of colors he
began to paint composition with life
sized figures. His autobiography ends
with that incident
In 1870 the young Hungarian arrived
at Paris, not knowing a word of French.
with picture which he carried to the
Salon with his own hands. It was the
success of the year, THE Last Day of
Condemned Prisoner and immedi-
ately established his reputation. This
was followed by 1.-THE Night Prowlers. -
1.-The Studio,'' 1.-THE Two Families.
Milton Debating Paradise Lost to His
Daughters" Christ Before Plate"
Christ on Calvary" and 'The Last
Moments of Mozart"
One of his great paintings, "Christ
Before Plate was purchased by John
Wanamaker of Philadelphia, after it
had been on exhibition in this country
for some weeks.
Another of his best known works is
the "Ecce Homo first shown at
Budapest during the fetes in May and
June of 1896, when the Hungarian ma
ton attained its tenth century as an
Independent State