Endre Horváth, who captured Hungarian folk art

Endre Horváth, who captured Hungarian folk art
(1896–1954)

Endre Horváth was a Hungarian graphic artist, the designer of numerous pengő and forint banknotes as well as Hungarian stamps, and an unrivalled master of copper and steel engraving.
He joined the newly established Banknote Printing Company in 1925 at the recommendation of his college teacher, Ferenc Helbing. As a designer, he created a new style by combining classic style with folk motifs. He depicted models dressed in folk costumes, mainly Palóc, on his banknotes and graphic arts, and was an enthusiast of folk art and copper engraving. This “enthusiasm” inspired the creation of his excellent pengő banknotes that earned him international reputation.
He played a key role in the design of new banknotes and government securities during the post-war reconstruction years. The collection includes a 10 forint banknote illustrated with the portrait of Sándor Petőfi, issued in 1947, and a stamp issued in 1949 for the Petőfi Centenary. Both are outstanding works of their kind, as the banknote, along with the other items in the series, was described as the most beautiful currency in Europe by the press of the time, while the outstanding success of the postage stamp in Hungary paved the way for the production of copper-engraved stamps. In this case, it is interesting to compare the similarities and differences between the two Petőfi illustrations, bearing in mind the emphasis that Endre Horváth placed on creating the Petőfi stamp, as 14 different Petőfi-themed designs were found in his estate, as well as all the existing earlier Petőfi illustrations that he had studied before creating the portrait.
Another interesting meeting point in the history of the banknotes and stamps is the issuance of the Postage Due Stamp, whose overprint was designed by Endre Horváth, which was issued in 1951. The hyperinflationary stamp sheets issued by the Magyar Nemzeti Bank in 1945 were reused during the issuance.