Ferenc Joachim

Ferenc Joachim (1882-1964) was a Hungarian (Magyar) artist painter who concentrated on portrait and landscape painting in the media of oil, water and pastel colors on the surfaces of canvas, board and paper. Ferenc Joachim was born in 1882 in Szeged, Hungary (at that time the Austria-Hungary Monarchy and Empire) and died in 1964 in Gyula, Hungary. His principal residences and studios were in his birthplace of Szeged, Hungary and in the national capital Budapest, Hungary. In his native Hungarian (Magyar) language the surname or family name is listed first and therefore in his native language usage and format his name is Joachim Ferenc.

THE WORLD HISTORY CONTEXT

For historical perspective and context let us note the part of the world stage on which he lived. From the time of his birth in 1882 until 1918, that is for the first 36 years of his life, he was living in the Austria-Hungary Monarchy and Empire. He lived through World War I from 1914 to 1918. At the end of World War I, the territory of the Austria-Hungary Monarchy and Empire was dissected into assorted separate countries in 1918 by the Treaty of Trianon which then defined the borders of the present day Hungary. From approximately 1918 to approximately 1936, that is for the next 18 years of his life, he was living in a constitutional monarchy of an independent Hungary with a Regent but not an actual monarch. From approximately 1936 to 1944, that is for the next 8 years of his life he was living in a country usurped by German nazi sympathizers and collaborators. He lived through World War II from ~1939 to 1944. Finally from 1944 to the time of his death in 1964, that is the final 20 years of his life, he was living under the Russian communist invasion and occupation, interrupted only briefly by the Hungarian peoples popular uprising, the ill-fated 1956 Hungarian Revolution of 23 October 1956.

THE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST CONTEXT

His signature on his paintings have occurred in his Hungarian (Magyar) language usage format as Joachim Ferenc, Csejtei Joachim Ferenc, and with the abbreviation Cs for Csejtei as in Cs Joachim Ferenc, and with the abbreviation of F for Ferenc as in Joachim F, Csejtei Joachim F, and Cs Joachim F. The word "Csejtei" (of Csejte) was used as an honorific prefix amongst artists of Hungary in the first half of the twentieth century but its exact history yet remains to be explained here. Csejte refers to a historically famous castle. Csejtei may also have different spellings such as Csejthey. In the early part of his life he made many trips abroad from Hungary on scholarships to study painting in Paris, France, and in Munich, Germany. It appears that during his stays in France his name was frenchified to François Joachim and during his stays in Germany his name was germanized to Franz Joachim von Csejthey. He was an exponent of the late nineteenth century concept inspired in Hungary, in Italy, in Germany, and in France of taking his painting easle out of the studio into nature and painting in nature. One of his most productive periods was on one of his sojourns to Marseilles, France and the surrounding south-of-France countryside and the Mediterranean seaside where he painted over a hundred canvases. His paintings were exhibited at the "Paris Salon" ("Salon de Paris") in Paris, France and at the "National Salon" ("Nemzeti Szalon") [1] in Budapest, Hungary ([2] ). A small collection of Ferenc Joachim paintings are still in archival repository in the "Móra Ferenc Múzeum" in Szeged, Hungary. For example, in the year 2000 the "Móra Ferenc Múzeum" displayed on temporary exhibit a loaned private collection which contained a Joachim Ferenc painting titled "Boszorkánysziget" ([3]). The present day museum can be easily visited instantly on the internet ( [4] ), ( [5] ), ( [6] ), ( [7] ). All other paintings are in private hands, which occasionally have appeared in public art auctions in Hungary and the USA on the internet ([8]), ([9]), ([10]). In Hungary his residences and painting studios were in his birthplace of Szeged and in the national capital of Budapest. In Szeged, which is located on the river Tisza and in the geographical Southern Great Plain or "Alföld" of Hungary, he was repeatedly active in promoting the arts in the greater region as shown by a 1910 publication of "Muvészet" ([11]), and in a 1913 publication of "Muvészet" ([12]), and by a 15 January 1928 document [13] showing him to be a founding member of the "Alföld Artists Association" ("Alföldi Müvészek Egyesülete"). He was an accomplished violinist but only played in private for his own personal relaxation and pleasure. He was also an accomplished singer with a rich baritone voice but again only sang privately for his own personal relaxation and pleasure. He had many friends and acquintances amongst his contemporaries and colleagues in the arts including painters, sculptors, writers, and musicians. The last twenty years of his life, from the onset of World War II to his death, he lived under extreme adversity due to the German nazi and then Russian communist occupations causing deprivations of basic human dignity and human rights, jobs, income, artistic supplies and materials, artistic integrity. It is difficult to imagine or sense or convey the emotionally suffocating and intellectually numbing oppression of these times in Hungarian history. To simulate the atmosphere for yourself, think of sleep deprivation mixed with fear mixed with hopelessness mixed with anxiety for your family stretched out for over twenty years.

THE FAMILY CONTEXT

The parents of Ferenc Joachim were Ferenc Joachim and Emilia Metz (or Mecz ?) of Szeged, Hungary (at that time the Austria-Hungary Monarchy and Empire) and he had two brothers Jozsef and Károly, and four sisters Gizella, Mariska, Jolán, and Mici. Some of his brothers and sisters were also artists in their own right, for example his brother Jozsef ([14]) was a sculptor and painter and his sister Gizella was a theater stage actress. It is believed that Gizella had lived a substantial part of her life as well as died in Paris, France. The author of this article, one of his grandsons, knows very little about the personal history of Ferenc Joachim between the time of his birth in 1882 and 1912, that is the first 30 years of his life. It appears that Ferenc Joachim was married twice in his life, the first time before age 30 and the second time after age 30. His second marriage started circa 1912 with Margit Gráf who was born in 1892 in Szony, (or possibly in the adjacent town of Almásfüzito), Hungary (at that time the Austria-Hungary Monarchy and Empire) and died in 1965 in Szentgotthard, Hungary. Margit Gráf was the daughter of Marton Gráf and Mária Stern and she had three brothers Moritz, Márton and Károly, and two sisters Rozsa and Julia. Ferenc Joachim with his wife Margit had three children: one daughter Piroska born in 1913 in Paris, France, and two sons, Ferenc born in 1920 in Budapest, Hungary and Attila born in 1923 in Szeged, Hungary. Their daughter Piroska was home schooled and privately tutored in literature, history and the arts. Their son Ferenc graduated from the "Eötvös Loránd University" ("Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem") with a "Diploma Biology" which is the equivalent of a Master's degree in the North American university system. Their son Attila graduated from the "Hungarian Royal Fine Arts Professional College" ("Magyar Kiralyi Képzomuvészeti Foiskola") where upon graduation he was hired as a teacher thus beginning a career also as an artist and painter. Tragically Attila Joachim (1923-1947) at age ~ 24 in ~ 1947, died due to injuries received at the hands of the German nazi sympathizers and collaborators. In fact a number of the brothers and sisters of both Ferenc Joachim and his wife Margit Gráf were persecuted by German nazi sympathizers and collaborators during World War II, or, following World War II they were persecuted by the Russian communist sympathizers and collaborators. ([15]) Such brutal fates were suffered and shared by many of the Hungarian (Magyar) population during the invasions by the different foreign military occupiers, their imposed dictatorial regimes, and their imposed hatred and persecution and violence based ideologies. His daughter Piroska had married and had three children. His surviving son Ferenc had married Eva Gross who was born in 1925 in Szeged, Hungary and they had six children. Piroska and her family and Ferenc and his family were refugees following the Hungarian people's popular uprising, the ill-fated 1956 Hungarian Revolution of 23 October 1956 in which Hungarian patriots and freedom fighters attempted to bring world attention and intervention to the foreign military invasion and dictatorial occupation by the Russian communists. The families were given asylum by and in Canada. The families subsequently finally settled in the USA. Ferenc Joachim's surviving son Ferenc died at age ~ 62 in 1982 in Fargo, North Dakota, USA where he used his anglicized name Frank G. Joachim. Ferenc (Frank) G. Joachim (1920-1982) was a biologist and entomologist with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Metabolism and Radiation Laboratory on the campus of the North Dakota State University at the time of his death. The wife of Ferenc (Frank) G. Joachim, Eva died at age 67 in 1992 in Fargo, Norh Dakota, USA. The son Ferenc (Frank) and Eva's six children, the grandchildren of the artist Ferenc and his wife Margit, survive them in the USA. Ferenc Joachim's daughter Piroska, who was a wife and mother all her life, still survives at age ninety-two as do all her three children, also the grandchildren of the artist Ferenc and his wife Margit. Seven of the nine grandchildren during their childhood had closely known and romped with their grandparents Ferenc and Margit. It is worth stressing that the artist Ferenc Joachim was most importantly a "family man" as was his wife Margit a "family woman."

THE DEATH CONTEXT

In their old age infirmity, the artist Ferenc Joachim and his wife Margit were moved to separate old age homes in Hungary, that is, Ferenc Joachim was moved to Gyula (town), Hungary where he died and was buried at age ~ 82 in 1964, and his wife Margit was moved to Szentgotthárd (St. Gotthard in German), Hungary where she died and was buried at age ~ 73 in 1965. It appears that both gravesites with their human remains have been lost due to a combination of severe weather such as floods and lack of continuous care. At the time of this writing in 2005, Ferenc and Margit are survived by their ninety-two year old daughter Piroska, as well as by their total of nine grandchildren. Ferenc JOACHIM's paintings survive him in the world.

Ferenc Joachim (1882-1964) was a Hungarian (Magyar) artist painter who concentrated on portrait and landscape painting in the media of oil, water and pastel colors on the surfaces of canvas, board and paper. Ferenc Joachim was born in 1882 in Szeged, Hungary (at that time the Austria-Hungary Monarchy and Empire) and died in 1964 in Gyula, Hungary. His principal residences and studios were in his birthplace of Szeged, Hungary and in the national capital Budapest, Hungary. In his native Hungarian (Magyar) language the surname or family name is listed first and therefore in his native language usage and format his name is Joachim Ferenc.

THE WORLD HISTORY CONTEXT

For historical perspective and context let us note the part of the world stage on which he lived. From the time of his birth in 1882 until 1918, that is for the first 36 years of his life, he was living in the Austria-Hungary Monarchy and Empire. He lived through World War I from 1914 to 1918. At the end of World War I, the territory of the Austria-Hungary Monarchy and Empire was dissected into assorted separate countries in 1918 by the Treaty of Trianon which then defined the borders of the present day Hungary. From approximately 1918 to approximately 1936, that is for the next 18 years of his life, he was living in a constitutional monarchy of an independent Hungary with a Regent but not an actual monarch. From approximately 1936 to 1944, that is for the next 8 years of his life he was living in a country usurped by German nazi sympathizers and collaborators. He lived through World War II from ~1939 to 1944. Finally from 1944 to the time of his death in 1964, that is the final 20 years of his life, he was living under the Russian communist invasion and occupation, interrupted only briefly by the Hungarian peoples popular uprising, the ill-fated 1956 Hungarian Revolution of 23 October 1956.

THE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST CONTEXT

His signature on his paintings have occurred in his Hungarian (Magyar) language usage format as Joachim Ferenc, Csejtei Joachim Ferenc, and with the abbreviation Cs for Csejtei as in Cs Joachim Ferenc, and with the abbreviation of F for Ferenc as in Joachim F, Csejtei Joachim F, and Cs Joachim F. The word "Csejtei" (of Csejte) was used as an honorific prefix amongst artists of Hungary in the first half of the twentieth century but its exact history yet remains to be explained here. Csejte refers to a historically famous castle. Csejtei may also have different spellings such as Csejthey. In the early part of his life he made many trips abroad from Hungary on scholarships to study painting in Paris, France, and in Munich, Germany. It appears that during his stays in France his name was frenchified to François Joachim and during his stays in Germany his name was germanized to Franz Joachim von Csejthey. He was an exponent of the late nineteenth century concept inspired in Hungary, in Italy, in Germany, and in France of taking his painting easle out of the studio into nature and painting in nature. One of his most productive periods was on one of his sojourns to Marseilles, France and the surrounding south-of-France countryside and the Mediterranean seaside where he painted over a hundred canvases. His paintings were exhibited at the "Paris Salon" ("Salon de Paris") in Paris, France and at the "National Salon" ("Nemzeti Szalon") [1] in Budapest, Hungary ([2] ). A small collection of Ferenc Joachim paintings are still in archival repository in the "Móra Ferenc Múzeum" in Szeged, Hungary. For example, in the year 2000 the "Móra Ferenc Múzeum" displayed on temporary exhibit a loaned private collection which contained a Joachim Ferenc painting titled "Boszorkánysziget" ([3]). The present day museum can be easily visited instantly on the internet ( [4] ), ( [5] ), ( [6] ), ( [7] ). All other paintings are in private hands, which occasionally have appeared in public art auctions in Hungary and the USA on the internet ([8]), ([9]), ([10]). In Hungary his residences and painting studios were in his birthplace of Szeged and in the national capital of Budapest. In Szeged, which is located on the river Tisza and in the geographical Southern Great Plain or "Alföld" of Hungary, he was repeatedly active in promoting the arts in the greater region as shown by a 1910 publication of "Muvészet" ([11]), and in a 1913 publication of "Muvészet" ([12]), and by a 15 January 1928 document [13] showing him to be a founding member of the "Alföld Artists Association" ("Alföldi Müvészek Egyesülete"). He was an accomplished violinist but only played in private for his own personal relaxation and pleasure. He was also an accomplished singer with a rich baritone voice but again only sang privately for his own personal relaxation and pleasure. He had many friends and acquintances amongst his contemporaries and colleagues in the arts including painters, sculptors, writers, and musicians. The last twenty years of his life, from the onset of World War II to his death, he lived under extreme adversity due to the German nazi and then Russian communist occupations causing deprivations of basic human dignity and human rights, jobs, income, artistic supplies and materials, artistic integrity. It is difficult to imagine or sense or convey the emotionally suffocating and intellectually numbing oppression of these times in Hungarian history. To simulate the atmosphere for yourself, think of sleep deprivation mixed with fear mixed with hopelessness mixed with anxiety for your family stretched out for over twenty years.

THE FAMILY CONTEXT

The parents of Ferenc Joachim were Ferenc Joachim and Emilia Metz (or Mecz ?) of Szeged, Hungary (at that time the Austria-Hungary Monarchy and Empire) and he had two brothers Jozsef and Károly, and four sisters Gizella, Mariska, Jolán, and Mici. Some of his brothers and sisters were also artists in their own right, for example his brother Jozsef ([14]) was a sculptor and painter and his sister Gizella was a theater stage actress. It is believed that Gizella had lived a substantial part of her life as well as died in Paris, France. The author of this article, one of his grandsons, knows very little about the personal history of Ferenc Joachim between the time of his birth in 1882 and 1912, that is the first 30 years of his life. It appears that Ferenc Joachim was married twice in his life, the first time before age 30 and the second time after age 30. His second marriage started circa 1912 with Margit Gráf who was born in 1892 in Szony, (or possibly in the adjacent town of Almásfüzito), Hungary (at that time the Austria-Hungary Monarchy and Empire) and died in 1965 in Szentgotthard, Hungary. Margit Gráf was the daughter of Marton Gráf and Mária Stern and she had three brothers Moritz, Márton and Károly, and two sisters Rozsa and Julia. Ferenc Joachim with his wife Margit had three children: one daughter Piroska born in 1913 in Paris, France, and two sons, Ferenc born in 1920 in Budapest, Hungary and Attila born in 1923 in Szeged, Hungary. Their daughter Piroska was home schooled and privately tutored in literature, history and the arts. Their son Ferenc graduated from the "Eötvös Loránd University" ("Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem") with a "Diploma Biology" which is the equivalent of a Master's degree in the North American university system. Their son Attila graduated from the "Hungarian Royal Fine Arts Professional College" ("Magyar Kiralyi Képzomuvészeti Foiskola") where upon graduation he was hired as a teacher thus beginning a career also as an artist and painter. Tragically Attila Joachim (1923-1947) at age ~ 24 in ~ 1947, died due to injuries received at the hands of the German nazi sympathizers and collaborators. In fact a number of the brothers and sisters of both Ferenc Joachim and his wife Margit Gráf were persecuted by German nazi sympathizers and collaborators during World War II, or, following World War II they were persecuted by the Russian communist sympathizers and collaborators. ([15]) Such brutal fates were suffered and shared by many of the Hungarian (Magyar) population during the invasions by the different foreign military occupiers, their imposed dictatorial regimes, and their imposed hatred and persecution and violence based ideologies. His daughter Piroska had married and had three children. His surviving son Ferenc had married Eva Gross who was born in 1925 in Szeged, Hungary and they had six children. Piroska and her family and Ferenc and his family were refugees following the Hungarian people's popular uprising, the ill-fated 1956 Hungarian Revolution of 23 October 1956 in which Hungarian patriots and freedom fighters attempted to bring world attention and intervention to the foreign military invasion and dictatorial occupation by the Russian communists. The families were given asylum by and in Canada. The families subsequently finally settled in the USA. Ferenc Joachim's surviving son Ferenc died at age ~ 62 in 1982 in Fargo, North Dakota, USA where he used his anglicized name Frank G. Joachim. Ferenc (Frank) G. Joachim (1920-1982) was a biologist and entomologist with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Metabolism and Radiation Laboratory on the campus of the North Dakota State University at the time of his death. The wife of Ferenc (Frank) G. Joachim, Eva died at age 67 in 1992 in Fargo, Norh Dakota, USA. The son Ferenc (Frank) and Eva's six children, the grandchildren of the artist Ferenc and his wife Margit, survive them in the USA. Ferenc Joachim's daughter Piroska, who was a wife and mother all her life, still survives at age ninety-two as do all her three children, also the grandchildren of the artist Ferenc and his wife Margit. Seven of the nine grandchildren during their childhood had closely known and romped with their grandparents Ferenc and Margit. It is worth stressing that the artist Ferenc Joachim was most importantly a "family man" as was his wife Margit a "family woman."

THE DEATH CONTEXT

In their old age infirmity, the artist Ferenc Joachim and his wife Margit were moved to separate old age homes in Hungary, that is, Ferenc Joachim was moved to Gyula (town), Hungary where he died and was buried at age ~ 82 in 1964, and his wife Margit was moved to Szentgotthárd (St. Gotthard in German), Hungary where she died and was buried at age ~ 73 in 1965. It appears that both gravesites with their human remains have been lost due to a combination of severe weather such as floods and lack of continuous care. At the time of this writing in 2005, Ferenc and Margit are survived by their ninety-two year old daughter Piroska, as well as by their total of nine grandchildren. Ferenc JOACHIM's paintings survive him in the world.

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