Vilmos Zsolnay

Vilmos Zsolnay ( born April 19, 1828 in Pecs, † March 23, 1900 ) was a Hungarian ceramic artist and industrialist.

Biography

Although he wanted to become a painter, he took over his father's wishes, following the family business in 1853 and 10 years later the Lehmwarenfabrik his brother. While he built the factory, he has remained an artist. It was particularly important to him, the development of new ceramic materials. His inventions are the porcelain faience and pyrogranite used for decoration of buildings, freeze solid.

Together with Vince Bardo he developed the luster technique with eosin to refine the ceramics. In his factory he applied this method to be the first to jewelry. Since 1873 he has been successful with the invention in domestic and foreign exhibitions. The highlight of his career he received gold medals at the Paris World Exhibition in 1878 and was inducted into the French Legion of Honour. Later he was awarded the Franz -Joseph- Orden, and honorary citizenship of the city of Pécs.

As a designer, he was the first major employer of artists, such as Ármin Klein. Important architects of his time spent with fondness the building of Zsolnay ceramics, including:

• Imre Steindl
• Odon Lechner
• Aladar Árkay
• Flóris basket
• Kálmán Giergl
• Béla Lajta
• Samu Pecz
• Frigyes Schulek

After his death, his son Miklós Zsolnay continued the factory in which he already played a crucial role during the lifetime of the father.

The factory is still in operation today. After nationalization it received the name Pécsi Porcelangyar ( " Pécs Porcelain Factory "). She is known for the production of artistic ceramics and the processing of eosin.

Gallery

The Zsolnay Fountain in Pecs (detail)

The fountain with the building of the Brothers of Mercy of Mary Help in the background

16 m tall monument for fallen in the years 1809/1810 French soldiers