Cover Page Design for the Periodical Magyar Iparművészet (Hungarian Applied Arts)

Árpád Ádámosi Székely made his ink drawing for the cover page design competition announced by the periodical Magyar Iparművészet in 1897. Although Pál Horti won the competition, the competition committee also highly praised Árpád Ádámosi Székely’s design, “the committee recommends that the editorial board should purchase this draft design along with the cover pages of Ernő Förk and Árpád Székely for issue number 1. The second of November 1897.” The cover page design was arranged according to typographical considerations, and the joint composition of the text and the image follows various aesthetic and practical considerations so that the work is beautiful, clear, and easily understandable. A nude female stands in the middle of the composition with her long, wind-blown hair covering the background in twisting waves. There is a huge daisy on either side of her head covering her ears and a large piece of fabric held in her two upraised hands is catching the wind. The name of the publication and its date in Art Nouveau lettering can be seen within the frame made by the piece of fabric, “MAGYAR / IPARMŰVÉSZET / 1898 január hó” (Hungarian / Applied Arts / January 1898). The female figure symbolizing freedom is a metaphor of the Art Nouveau, which broke away from everything that contemporary academic art represented. There are two fantastic beasts with wings, fins, and beaks placed symmetrically under her feet along the upper border of a rectangular-shaped frame. On the sides of this are lines imitating waves on the sea that have an eastern look, and two fantastic beasts similar to catfish surround ornaments and Art Nouveau flowers along the bottom. The text in this frame also uses Art Nouveau lettering, “KIADJA A MAGYAR / IPARMŰVÉSZETI TÁRSULAT” (PUBLISHED BY THE HUNGARIAN / ASSOCIATION OF APPLIED ARTS). There is a handwritten note in the bottom right corner, “Tervezte Székely Árp(ád)” (Designed by Árp[ád] Székely).