MÁRIA SZANTHO (1897-1998) Reclining Nude

signed ‘SZANTHO MÁRIA’ (lower left) oil on canvas 70.5 x 90.5 cm Mária Szánthó was a Hungarian painter. She initially studied music and graduated in piano from the Budapest Academy of Music before turning to painting in the 1920s. She studied under Géza Kukán, Bertalan Karlovszky and Pál Fried, and travelled to Italy and France for further study. A representative of Hungarian Naturalism, she is best known for her portraits, nudes and genre scenes, often characterised by an elegant and intimate atmosphere. She exhibited regularly in Hungary, particularly in Budapest, and her work was also shown internationally, notably in Japan and the United States.