Beash Roma illustrations to Sándor Petőfi's János Vitéz (John the Valiant), 1980s

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Summary

Abstract:
43 illustrations depicting the story of János Vitéz (John the Valiant) drawn in Pécs, Hungary, by special needs high school students, many from the Beash Roma community, under the instruction of art teacher Ildikó Fodor in the 1980s.
Extent:
16 linear feet (4 map cabinet drawers)
Language:
Multiple languages and Materials in English and Magyar.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], Beash Roma illustrations to Sándor Petőfi's János Vitéz (John the Valiant), Mss 347. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Background

Scope and content:

43 illustrations drawn in Pécs, Hungary, by special needs high school students, many from the Beash Roma community, under the instruction of art teacher Ildikó Fodor in the 1980s. These works tell the story of János Vitéz, or "John the Valiant," a Hungarian national epic written by Sándor Petőfi in 1845.

The collection is made up of pen and ink illustrations ranging from 10" to 33" wide, and 24" to 11" tall. The drawings are rich in the uniqueness of "outsider art", produced by individuals who create despite a lack of formal training. The young artists include Bogdán Tibor, Csonka Hajnalka, Mátyás Gligorovics, Zoltán Kalányos, Ferenc Kiss, Sándor Orsós, Zoltán Orsós, Mária Pálfi, Gyula Sárközi, Zsolt Sárközi, and Zsuzsanna Sipos.

Biographical / historical:

In 2001, an Hungarian--English--Beash Roma edition of János Vitéz was released. Funded by the Dévi Foundation in Pécs (Devi Art Alapítvány), the book includes the text of the poem in the three languages: the original Hungarian of Sándor Petőfi, John Ridland's English translation, and a translation into Beash (the Roma dialect of the region around Pécs) by Anna Orsós. In addition to the parallel translations, the book features over 50 illustrations of various episodes within the poem, drawn in Pécs by special needs high school students, many of whom were Beash Roma, under the instruction of art teacher Ildikó Fodor in the 1980s, as part of her pedagogical approach focusing on creativity and imagination in learning. Exhibited in Budapest in 2001, 43 of these drawings eventually came to the UC Santa Barbara Library's Special Research Collections in 2017, through a donation of Ildikó Fodor.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Ildikó Fodor, 2017.
Physical location:
Department of Special Research Collections, UCSB Library
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The drawings are still framed in their original mattings, which are unstable. Please contact Special Research Collections staff for more information.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Research Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Research Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Research Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], Beash Roma illustrations to Sándor Petőfi's János Vitéz (John the Valiant), Mss 347. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Location of this collection:
UC Santa Barbara Library
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010, US
Contact:
(805) 893-3062
special@library.ucsb.edu
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