Géza Faragó Biography

Géza Faragó (1877-1928) was a master of early Hungarian poster art. He was the most important artist of Art Nouveau style in Hungary; his well-known works combine the decorative fineness of “Secession” with exquisite humour and caricature.

He studied under Ferenc Ujházy. Later, he travelled to Paris, where he worked in a textile factory, alongside studying at the Colarossi Academy, then in the Atelier Artistique Delaye. In 1900, Faragó got a new scholarship to study at the École des Arts Decoratifs, which enabled him to afford his stay in Paris. From there, he worked for two years at Alphonse Mucha’s workshop. Faragó exhibited a couple of times at the Paris Salon.

In 1902, he moved back to Hungary and started to paint in the workshop of Adolf Fényes (he spent two summers there); later, he also worked in the artist colony in Kecskemét. After years of travelling, he finally settled down in Budapest. His paintings and graphic works were exhibited in several exhibitions at the Nemzeti Szalon (National Salon). Some of Faragó’s paintings are today in the collection of the Hungarian National Gallery. He had a solo exhibition in Berlin in 1914.

During World War I, Faragó was busy designing propaganda posters. He was also a well-known caricaturist and costume designer, but first and foremost, he was famous for his outstanding posters. Under Mucha’s influence, Faragó developed a unique, grand, and decorative Art Nouveau style, which was his own. The decorative two-dimensional style of Japanese woodcuts also had a great influence on his art. He used vivid colours, strong contour lines, and beautiful, ornamental forms and patterns.

Like his Czech master, Faragó preferred to represent lovely female figures. Faragó had a special sense of humour and a caricaturesque style that he was able to seamlessly blend with the stunningly attractive Art Nouveau shapes, patterns and other elements: he created several unforgettable humorous figures, acting almost like trademarks in his designs (such as the bishop for Kerpel, the dandy for Törley, the cheerful girl for Janina). These figures typified the members of the European and Hungarian urban societies of the time.

He also liked to draw caricatures of himself, some of which have appeared on his posters (for example, on Tingli Tangli). Faragó was an enthusiastic fan of metropolitan life; he designed many commercial posters for nightclubs, cafés, pubs, and theatres - he himself became a well-known personality in Budapest’s nightlife. His talent also made him perfectly suited for designing fashion posters.

Faragó’s style is close to Mucha’s: he uses strong and decorative contour lines, and large, flat, coloured patches, with which he built up comprehensive, decorative compositions. 

Faragó started a trend in Hungarian poster art, using the story and jokes as key tools, besides high artistic value, for capturing attention.