Vilmos Zsolnay
Hungarian (1828-1900)
Vase, 1899
earthenware with metallic luster glaze
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Gift of the Norwest Corporation

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By 1900 Art Nouveau had spread well beyond Paris and Brussels to cities within central and eastern Europe. The style became particularly popular in Budapest, Hungary, where it came to represent the capital's thriving economy and nationalistic spirit. This lustrous earthenware vase was made by one of most important contributors to Hungarian Art Nouveau, the Zsolnay ceramics factory in Pécs, and reflects the interest in nature that dominated design during this period.

From 1898 to 1908 Zsolnay ceramics were displayed at many international exhibitions, including the Paris World's Fair of 1900. The firm's success was largely due to Vilmos Zsolnay, who hired skilled foreign artisans as well as scientists to achieve high-quality, innovative designs. In the 1890s he worked with chemists to invent an iridescent metallic glaze that drew on Persian and Moorish traditions to rival the shimmering effect of Louis Comfort Tiffany's Favrile glass. Tiffany's work was well known among artists abroad. It was exhibited at Siegfried Bing's gallery in Paris and at international exhibitions in Europe, including the Paris World's Fair of 1900.