The Condemned Cell II

“The Condemned Cell I” brought his first great success for Munk�csy in 1869. Later he produced several version of this theme. This second one differs from the first only in its size. It depicts the last hourst of a young lad who is condemned to death. The village folks are watching him curiously, the facial expression and gestures of every one of them shows a different kind of response: surprise, pity, or wen indifference. The lad’s clenched hand and the Bible thrown onto the floor reveal of his outhursting fury.

Munk�csy painted this canvas during the years he spent at the Munich art academy, where the psychological approach was very fashionable a that time. Having assimilated this trend, Munk�csy depicted the event with emotionally differenciated facial expressions and gestures. The bright white paint in the dark basic colour of the picture generates a grim effect - in accordance with the mental state of the characters. The use of many characters and their arrangement is theatrical to a certain degree - and in this respect the picture is reminiscent of the anedotical German genre style - nevertheless, its honest way of rendering and its sensitivity for the issues of this age make this painting a true masterpiece of Realism.