Maria Lehel (Hungarian 1889-1972)

Maria Lehel, born Maria Rell, studied in Budapest and at the Nagyabnya School between 1906 and 1914. She was student of Karoly Ferenczy and Bela Ivanyi Grunwald. She also travelled to Paris during this time. In 1911 she exhibited at the National Salon in Budapest as an invited guest of the "Group of Eight" exhibition of Post-Impressionist painters. At this time she met painter and writer Ferenc Lehel whom she married.

She moved to Paris in 1924 with her family, before setting in Genova, Italy in 1946. She is known for her still lifes, landscapes, and nudes, painted with with oil and also pastel.

In the early work one can see her relationship with the stylistic tendencies of the Nagybanya School. Later, from the middle of the twenties,  she made more decorative, French styled, fluent pictures. moving away from the contours and the bright strokes popular with the Post Impressionists.

Exhibitions: 

1911 "Group of Eight"; Budapest Salon

Art House; Budapest

Ernst Museum; Budapest