Romek Árpád (Budapest, 1883–1960) - Still Life

Romek Árpád (Budapest, 1883–1960) — Still Life with Glassware and Copper Bucket — Oil on canvas — Hungary, 2nd quarter 20th century

A masterful still life by one of Hungary’s finest academic painters, Romek Árpád, depicting an arrangement of glass vessels — a clear vase, green glass jars and bottles, a small fallen glass ring — alongside a luminous amber bowl and a copper bucket with swing handle, all set on a draped white cloth against a dark background. The composition demonstrates Árpád’s exceptional command of light, transparency, and reflective surfaces, placing him firmly in the tradition of the great Hungarian still life masters.
Romek Árpád was born in Budapest and trained at the Magyar Képzőművészeti Főiskola (Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest) under the masters Ede Ballo and László Hegedűs. Following his studies he was awarded a prestigious scholarship to Szolnok, the celebrated Hungarian artist colony. His work is internationally collected and regularly appears at auction in the United States, United Kingdom, and across Europe.

This painting is presented in its original period frame — silver-leafed wood with a warm antique patina, deliberately distressed to harmonise with the tonal palette of the canvas. Frame and painting together form a coherent, exhibition-ready whole.

Signed lower right: Romek Árpád
Medium: Oil on canvas
Origin: Hungary
Period: 2nd quarter 20th century
Canvas: 56 × 67 cm
Framed: 70 × 82 cm

Condition: Age-appropriate craquelure in the dark background areas. No visible restorations. Frame with natural wear consistent with age.