Sunny Morning

The laid table with armchairs around it in the garden of the Ferenczy family often appeared in Ferenczy’s pictures (“Sunny Evening”, 1904, “Sunny Morning”, 1905, and “The Prodigal Son”, 1908). “Sunny Morning”, like “October”, showed an idyllic scene in a little town. Ferenczy views the bright and peaceful subject not as a humorous one, his considerations as artist make his pictures more than mere genre pictures. The morning sunshine penetrates under the branches of the walnut tree. Eyes are drawn to the table with white table cloth. Shadows of objects (a fruit basket, apples and a blue carafe) are projected on it, together with the delicate shadow of the basket chair which is not in the picture. The natural posture of people sitting around the table is a part of the arrangement. The edge of the table running diagonally is accentuated by the arm and trunk of the female figure who is leaning back in the armchair and by the borderline between light and shadow on the leaves.

Ferenczy’s composition at this time was characterized by Istv�n R�ti as follows: “… he places his figures into narrow space and full figures. It is carefully decided on the basis of proportions and patches how much of them should be portrayed. Proportion of space is shifted towards figures, what does not diminish the importance of atmospheres in the pictures …”. The contrast of surfaces in light and shadow is definite. The way he painted the warm colours of faces which are in the shadow of hats is simply superb, just like the grey silk dress. Ferenczy’s style of painting is more dynamic and delicate coloured at the same, mow that he gave up his previous plain style.